The prefecture of Montpellier has refused to grant a residence permit to Irina Ananina, a journalist for the project Vot Tak, and ordered her to leave France, the outlet's editorial board reported. Ananina is married to a French citizen, Bertrand Bollet.
Ananina received the refusal decision in early August after more than two and a half years of document review. She moved to France in 2021 and, after marrying, applied for a residence permit as the spouse of a French citizen. According to her, the prefecture several times requested additional documents, and the application was officially registered in January 2024. The reasons for the refusal were not disclosed.
Under French law, a foreigner who legally entered the country, married a French citizen in France, and lived with the spouse for at least six months is entitled to a temporary residence permit in the category of “private and family life.” The mayor of the city where the couple married previously sent a letter to officials confirming that Ananina and Bollet live together.
In a conversation with Ekho, Ananina said the refusal document mentions a previously issued order to leave the country, which she did not comply with, and the absence of new circumstances. The journalist claims there was only one application, and the case review was resumed due to the prefecture's transition to electronic document management. She also noted that during the wait, her previous visa expired, while she pays taxes in France and owns an apartment jointly with her husband.
Ananina's lawyer, Dmitry Zakhvatov, considers the decision unlawful and intends to appeal it in court. In his opinion, the expulsion of the journalist would violate the couple's right to family life, guaranteed by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Ananina herself does not plan to seek political asylum.
Before emigrating, Ananina worked for the newspaper Delovoy Peterburg and the St. Petersburg editorial office of Ekho Moskvy, after which she began collaborating with Vot Tak. The project is part of Polish Public Television and is included in Russia's list of “foreign agents.” The editorial board noted that returning to Russia could create a risk of persecution for her due to her work in an independent media outlet, but there is no public information about a criminal case opened against Ananina.