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View of the Prefecture of Montpellier. CC BY 3.0 Pierre Selim

This 32-year-old professor of physics and chemistry in Senegal, recruited by the rectorate and teaching for two years in Montpellier (southern France) had received an obligation to leave the territory within 30 days, on 14 September. Although provisional, it is a happy ending for Moustapha Gueye.

The prefecture of Herault canceled this Monday, October 14th, this obligation to leave the French territory (OQTF), and granted him a new residence permit corresponding to the duration of his contract. To support Moustapha Gueye , his colleagues at colleges Gérard Philipe and Arthur Rimbaud of Montpellier mobilized by writing a petition and going on strike.

Application for naturalization

Moustapha Gueye left the prefecture relieved, aware that his victory is just another step in his career as a foreign teacher in France.

" I was expecting more, " he acknowledged. " I was hoping to receive a resident card, but they gave me a one-year residence permit valid until the end of my contract, that is until August 31, 2020. After, I will do a renewal, as usual. Because at the end of each contract you have to go to the prefecture and take steps to obtain a new residence permit, "he added.

Moustapha Gueye's visits to the prefecture are likely to continue, unless her application for naturalization is quickly accepted. He had deposited it before receiving the paper forcing him to leave French territory. According to the prefecture of Herault this request has already been sent to the Ministry of the Interior with a favorable opinion. The answer should arrive in principle within 8 months.

A rally was held in front of the Montpellier prefecture, a delegation of which was received by the prefect, as Twitter spokeswoman Muriel Ressiguier wrote.

#Gathering in front of the #Montpellier prefecture this morning so that #MoustaphaGueye can continue to teach here. A delegation was received by the prefect: his residence permit is extended and his application for naturalization received a favorable opinion. pic.twitter.com/VHRS0pVMtY

Muriel Ressiguier (@MRessiguier) October 14, 2019

A case far from isolated

According to the committee that supports Moustapha Gueye, its situation is symptomatic of the difficulties of foreign contract teachers, employees of the National Education, still waiting for a renewal of their residence permit. The committee requests that a 10-year resident card be issued to them or that they be naturalized.

In the case of Moustapha Gueye, the prefecture of Hérault had initially motivated the expulsion decision by the fact that the occupation of professor of physics-chemistry was not included in the list, drawn up in 2006, of accessible trades. to Senegalese nationals.

The rectorate of Montpellier on its side evoked the lack of tenured teachers in " disciplines in tension ", of which physics-chemistry is a part.