In social networks, anger does not go down. It is still just as complicated to obtain identity documents (identity card or passport) for renewal or as a first request to the State services that issue these titles. Some Internet users thus evoke several more months of waiting to make an appointment and even longer to receive their documents.
The traffic jams began in May, when a large number of French people wanted to get hold of this precious sesame for the summer holidays after two years of health crisis in which travel was forced. Thus, requests have increased by 30% compared to 2019.
Two sets of measures and effects still not very tangible
Given this situation, the government has implemented measures to streamline procedures. It established a 30% increase in the number of staff in the prefectures to process applications and the establishment of additional means to collect them, such as temporary centers to process national identity documents and passports.
The goal set by the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin was to return to normality by the summer.
Problem: This plan has only allowed for a slight decrease in delays. At the end of July, according to estimates by the iFrap foundation, it took between one and seven months to obtain an identity document depending on the region (with a record for Brittany of 6 to 7 months of waiting).
On average, still at the end of July, it took an average of 55 days to get an appointment at the town hall to apply for a national identity card or a passport compared to 65 days at the end of April. This is five times more than a year ago.
40,000 additional requests per week
At the beginning of August, the Government announced an allocation of 10 million euros to consolidate this plan.
For the Delegate Minister for Local Authorities, Caroline Cayeux, “with about 350 new collection systems until October, 160 new employees in the prefectures dedicated since the beginning of the year and the development of the online pre-application, there are already about 40,000 applications additional items that can be collected each week.
This provision will be used in particular to offset the costs of installing the collection devices in the municipalities. In addition to the classic allocation of 12,000 euros, the State will pay an additional 4,000 euros for any new collection device installed between April 1 and July 31.
Questioned by BFM Business, the National Agency of Guaranteed Titles (ANTS) still did not specify the waiting times at the end of August after the implementation of these latest measures.
Source: BFM TV
