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Mr. A v. Minister of the Interior - judgment

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The court of appeal of the Bordeaux region dismissed an appeal by the state challenging an earlier judicial decision to grant a temporary residence permit to a Bangladeshi national with serious respiratory illness. It was argued his medical conditions would be made considerably worse if returned to Bangladesh owing, in part, to the adverse impacts of air pollution in the country. The decision of the Bordeaux court was appealed and reversed by the Supreme Administrative Court of France in December 2021.

The applicant argued to renew his residence permit and for his application for family reunification to be accepted. They questioned of the medical opinions provided by the French office of immigration and integration, mentioning that the Prefect had waived medical confidentiality in 2015. The applicant stressed the specificity of his medical condition, highlighting the need for special treatment for his asthma and sleep apnoea syndrome and insisting on the unavailability of appropriate care in Bangladesh. Additionally, the applicant raised that the atmospheric pollution in Bangladesh would exacerbate his condition.

The Prefect (of Haute-Garonne) put forward several arguments to support the refusal to renew the applicant's residence permit and the rejection of his application for family reunification. The Prefect disputed the validity of the medical evidence provided by the applicant, questioning in particular the necessity of the medical treatment and casting doubt on the justification of the constraints associated with the use of a respirator. In addition, he stressed the availability of the medicines needed for the treatment in Bangladesh and the possibility for the applicant to settle elsewhere in his country of origin.

The administrative court of appeal of Bordeaux rejected the Prefect's appeal on the basis of article L.313-11, 11° of the French Code of entry and residence of foreigners and of the right to asylum ("Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile"). It thus confirmed the ruling of the administrative court of Toulouse, which had ordered the Prefect to grant a residence permit to the applicant. To reach its decision, the court took into account several factors relating to the applicant’s medical needs (due to his chronic respiratory problems), the lack of appropriate treatments in his home country and environmental factors in his home country (air pollution severely exacerbating his medical condition).

The case was appealed to the Council of State (Conseil d’Etat). In its appeal, the Minister of the Interior alleged that the Bordeaux administrative court of appeal made two errors of law when assessing the criteria set out in 11° of Article L. 313-11 of the French Code of entry and residence of foreigners and of the right to asylum (now in article L.425-9 of the same Code), by (i) comparing the healthcare systems in France and the country of origin; and (ii) taking into account the exogenous factor of atmospheric pollution in the country of origin.

The Council of State overturned the Bordeaux administrative court of appeal's decision, which had annulled the prefect's refusal to renew Mr. A's temporary residence permit on health grounds. The Council of State clarified that the court should have only assessed whether appropriate treatment was accessible in the home country (Bangladesh), rather than comparing the quality of healthcare to that in France or Europe, and without considering external factors like air pollution in the home country. The case was sent back to the Court of Appeal for reconsideration on the merits in light of this ruling. The Bordeaux Administrative Court of Appeal subsequently reconsidered the case and confirmed the prefect's refusal to renew Mr. A's temporary residence permit in France on 16 June 2022.

Mr. A v. Minister of the Interior

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

Groups  of people who are adversely affected by climate change or the response to it

A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Justice is the ethical and political framework that addresses fairness, including issues of responsibility, rights, and structural inequity.

Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

People who are less able to respond to the effects of climate change due to having limited financial or physical assets

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Air pollution involves harmful contaminants in the air, affecting both indoor and outdoor environments. It can lead to health issues like respiratory diseases and heart problems, and climate impacts such as global warming. Pollutants can damage plants, trees, habitats, and water bodies like rivers and lakes.

People who have left their homes, whether through force, voluntarily, or a mixture of both

Activities of government agencies and institutions that provide public services, enforce laws and manage public resources.

This sector includes firms and individuals offering specialised expertise in fields such as law, accounting, consulting, science and engineering.

This sector provides medical services, manufactures medical equipment, and develops pharmaceuticals to maintain and improve health.

Climate change can have a range of impacts on technological system. Extreme weather events can cause infrastructure failures like power outages or damage to roads and bridges, as well as the impacts from waste following natural disasters. Human activities also cause technological impacts, such as the risks posed by oil spillage and leaks.

Mr. A v. Minister of the Interior - judgment

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Finance