Faced with the labor shortage, employers are mobilizing for the regularization of their foreign employees

In the kitchens of Le Mesturet restaurant, located in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, Birayma is far from being the loudest. He is more of a reserved type. When he arrived in Paris five years ago, the Malian did not speak French, but he clings, he does everything to integrate. “I know I have difficulty speaking, but I can’t give uphe confides. I keep trying to improve.”

Birayama has learned a language but also a trade: he is an apprentice cook in the restaurant. But six months ago he came of age. And without the protection enjoyed by minors, he is now in an irregular situation. “I would like to continue doing my job.continues the young man. I filed my regularization file for my papers more than six months ago now, I have no result.”

Regularization files can take months or even years to be finalized. “It’s absurd, it’s ubiquitousannoys Alain Fontaine, chef and owner of the restaurant. This boy is motivated. There are thousands like that.” Currently, 200,000 jobs are unfilled in the catering sector. “It always bothers me that at the prefecture, we don’t go fastercontinues Alain Fontaine, not to regularize people who would not work, but when there is a request from the boss to have this employee within his company, I think we have to go quickly.

“Everyone is running after hands for our restaurants, and at the same time, you have people on the sidewalk who can’t get in.”

Alain Fontaine, chef and owner of Le Mesturet restaurant

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Alain Fontaine calls for the establishment of a simplified procedure within the prefectures. A request also made by the Patrons Solidaires association, which supports business leaders on these regularization files. “We have never had so many requests as at the moment”, says Patricia Hyvernat, the president of the association. She claims to receive calls for help every week. “We have files in Reims, in Nantes, in the south of France, and there, there are so many emergencies that sincerely, the association no longer knows where to turn.”

Since the beginning of the year, the association has looked into some fifty regularization files, especially in the construction and catering sectors.