Immigration Detention in Bordeaux (CRA): Deadlines, Judges and Rights — 2026
Challenging a detention order before the liberty and custody judge
and appealing the removal order before the administrative court
Immigration detention (rétention administrative) is a deprivation of liberty ordered by the prefect, not by a criminal court, in order to carry out a removal decision. It takes place in a centre de rétention administrative (CRA). Two different judges are involved: the judicial judge reviews the detention itself, the administrative court reviews the removal order.
What immigration detention is
An administrative measure, not a criminal sentence
Detention presupposes an earlier removal decision: most often an OQTF (obligation de quitter le territoire français — order to leave French territory), sometimes a ban on French territory, an expulsion order or a transfer to another European country. The prefect may order it when the guarantees that the person will remain available — passport, stable address, work contract — are considered insufficient. It usually follows an identity check or police custody. The initial administrative phase lasts 96 hours; beyond that, only a judge can extend it.
Detention is not a sentence but a regulated administrative measure, and an irregularity in the procedure may lead to release.
The new Mérignac detention centre
140 places, opening announced for October 2026
A new detention centre with 140 places has been built on the Bioparc site, avenue du Bourgailh, between Mérignac and Pessac. Its opening has been announced for October 2026; the exact date is not confirmed. It replaces the twenty-place facility in the basement of the Bordeaux-Mériadeck police station and will have separate areas for men and women.
A courtroom is planned on the site, so hearings can be held without transferring the detainee; videoconference remains possible. The postal address and telephone number have not been published yet, nor has the association that will provide legal information inside.
More about the Mérignac detention centre
Information updated on 9 September 2026.
The deadlines that matter
Ordinary law, September 2026
| Step | Time limit | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Initial detention ordered by the prefect | 96 hours | Prefect (detention order) |
| Challenging the detention order | 96 hours from notification | Judge of the judicial court (formerly the JLD, liberty and custody judge) |
| First extension of detention | 26 days | Judge of the judicial court |
| Further extensions | 30 days, renewable once (90 days); exceptional regimes up to 210 days (Act of 27 July 2026); overall cap of 360 days | Judge of the judicial court |
| Asylum claim from the detention centre | 5 days | OFPRA (accelerated procedure) |
| Appeal against the removal order (OQTF) notified in detention | 48 hours from notification — 5 days for a rejected asylum seeker, 7 days for a Dublin transfer decision or for a person under house arrest | Administrative court of Bordeaux |
| Appeal against the judge's order | 24 hours | First President of the Bordeaux Court of Appeal |
Applying for legal aid does not suspend these deadlines. The judge rules within 48 hours of being seised.
Rights of a detained person
They must be notified on arrival, in a language the person understands
- — To be assisted by a lawyer, chosen or court-appointed.
- — To have an interpreter when rights are notified and at the hearing.
- — To see a doctor and have a condition incompatible with detention recorded.
- — To contact a consulate, family and any person of one's choice, and to receive visits at the times set by the centre's internal rules.
- — To be helped by the association present in the centre.
- — To claim asylum from detention, within five days of the notification of rights.
Late, incomplete or missing notification of these rights, and the absence of an interpreter, are irregularities. Other grounds are the lawfulness of the arrest or police custody, the lack of reasons in the order, health, and — for extensions — the absence of real steps by the administration or of a reasonable prospect of removal. The judge may order house arrest instead. No outcome can be guaranteed.
What the family should do
In the first hours
Call a lawyer
Give the full name, date of birth, the centre and the time of the placement.
Gather the documents
Passport, residence permits, work contract, payslips, tenancy agreement, children's birth and school certificates, family record book: these support the guarantees of representation.
Sign nothing alone
Nothing should be signed without being understood. Ask for an interpreter and report any health problem.
What the firm does
Instructing the firm from abroad or from another region
The firm works in French and in English. Documents are sent by WhatsApp or e-mail: the removal order, the detention order and the identity documents. A one-page quote follows, and the family pays remotely before the hearing. The firm obtains the procedural file, files written submissions and attends the hearing at the centre or by videoconference. Maître Gabriel Lassort has been a member of the Bordeaux Bar since 2018 and of the Bar's Institut de défense des étrangers. No outcome can be guaranteed.
Fees
One-page quote by e-mail or text message
| Service | Fee | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| First hearing before the judge (challenge to the detention order and first extension, within 96 hours) | 600 € incl. VAT (500 € excl. VAT) | Study of the file, written submissions, hearing at the centre or by videoconference, report to the family. |
| Each further extension hearing, for a client already defended by the firm | 360 € incl. VAT (300 € excl. VAT) | Review of the new documents and of the steps taken by the administration, submissions, hearing. |
| Appeal before the First President of the Court of Appeal | 300 € incl. VAT (250 € excl. VAT) for a client already defended by the firm | Notice of appeal within 24 hours, submissions, hearing. |
| Appeal against the removal order (OQTF) before the administrative court | Legal aid, where the conditions are met | Application and submissions, hearing before a single judge. A supplementary fee agreement applies where legal aid is partial. |
| Prepaid "detention defence" package | 840 € incl. VAT (700 € excl. VAT) | First hearing and any appeal, paid once. |
Same price at weekends and on public holidays. The family pays remotely, before the hearing.
Legal references
- CESEDA, article L. 741-10 — challenge to the detention order before the judge of the judicial court.
- CESEDA, articles L. 742-1 to L. 742-3 — first extension of detention, 26 days.
- CESEDA, articles L. 742-4 (further extensions of 30 days, renewable once) and L. 743-21 (appeal within 24 hours).
- CESEDA, article R. 921-2-1 — 48-hour time limit to appeal against a removal order notified in detention (Decree no. 2026-456 of 6 June 2026).
- Act no. 2026-667 of 27 July 2026 — exceptional detention periods and overall cap.
- CESEDA, Title IV — immigration detention (L. 740-1 to L. 744-17) — full regime and rights.
Frequently asked questions
Deadlines, rights, fees
How long can immigration detention last?
Detention starts with an administrative phase of 96 hours. The judge may then extend it by 26 days, then by periods of 30 days renewable once, that is 90 days under ordinary law. Exceptional regimes allow up to 210 days since the Act of 27 July 2026, with an overall cap of 360 days for one removal measure. Every extension requires a reasonable prospect of removal.
What is the deadline to challenge the detention order?
96 hours from notification, before the judge of the judicial court (the former liberty and custody judge, JLD). The appeal against the removal order (OQTF) is a separate procedure, with a 48-hour deadline before the administrative court where the person is in detention (CESEDA, Articles L. 614-2 and R. 921-2-1) — 5 days for a rejected asylum seeker, 7 days for a Dublin transfer decision. Legal aid does not suspend either deadline.
How much does a lawyer cost in a detention case?
The first hearing before the judge costs 600 € including VAT. Each further extension hearing costs 360 €, and an appeal before the First President 300 € for a client already defended by the firm. A prepaid package covering the first hearing and any appeal costs 840 €. The appeal against the removal order is handled under legal aid.
Do you work at weekends?
Yes. Detention orders and hearings are made every day of the week, including public holidays, and the firm attends them on the same terms.
Can a person claim asylum from the detention centre?
Yes, within five days of the notification of rights. The claim is examined by OFPRA under an accelerated procedure. A fear of persecution should be mentioned to the lawyer at the first contact.
Can the person be released?
Yes: the judge refuses an extension, the detention order is set aside, the removal order is annulled, or the prefecture ends the measure. The judge may also order house arrest. No outcome can be guaranteed.
A relative is in immigration detention
Deadlines run from notification and are counted in hours.