Section 3: Access to detention facilities

Members of parliament and senators as well as representatives to the European Parliament elected in France are authorised to visit places of administrative detention at any time.They may be accompanied by one or more journalists holding the professional identity card mentioned in article L. 7111-6 of the Labour Code.

The delegate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and his representatives may be authorised to visit places of administrative detention.

Representatives of humanitarian associations may be authorised to visit places of administrative detention.

Provided they do not violate the dignity of persons and the requirements of security and proper operation of the administrative detention facility, journalists holding the professional identity card mentioned in article L. 7111-6 of the Labour Code may be authorised to access administrative detention facilities.Image and sound recordings of foreign nationals, staff and participants in administrative detention facilities, as well as their broadcasting, are only authorised with their prior agreement….

The conditions of access of the delegate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and his representatives, representatives of humanitarian associations and journalists holding the professional identity card mentioned in article L. 7111-6 of the Labour Code, to places of detention are set by decree in the Conseil d’Etat.