Siriki came to France as a minor to flee domestic violence in the Ivory Coast. The apprentice cook settled in Dunkirk, northern France, but received two deportation orders. The decision came even though he had obtained a vocational diploma and proved his successful integration.
"He is always smiling. Unless there is a problem. Like with everyone, it shows on his face,” said Thibault, the boss of a restaurant where Siriki* works. The young man faced more than a simple problem last October. The 23-year-old Ivoirian received an OQTF (obligation to leave French territory) while he was renewing his residence permit. After his lawyer intervened, a judge ordered that Siriki’s case be re-examined. A surge of local solidarity made it possible to pay the legal fees.
Yet the young African had done nothing wrong. He arrived as a minor in Dunkirk (northern France) in 2019. Siriki later obtained a vocational diploma (CAP) in cooking in 2022, before completing multiple internships in restaurants and joining the team of a prestigious establishment as an apprentice.
"He is very kind and meticulous at work, and always on time," said Thibault. It was a major feat, considering his past. Before reaching France, Sidiki had traveled a long path of 7,000 kilometers across Libya, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Italian mountains. "I only realized everything I had been through when I arrived," said the young man, miming his head exploding with his hands.
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'I was scared of everyone'
Born in the Ivory Coast, Siriki never knew his mother. "My father chased me away from home so he could bring in another woman, who often hurt me. Especially by burning me, which left scars that are still visible on my skin," said Siriki. The violence pushed him to leave home as an adolescent to try to "join other family members in Paris". He experienced the desert, where "some people collapsed from thirst". He also experienced the insecurity in Libya, a perilous gateway to the European Union for people who have "taken the road". He found support among the travellers: "Everyone is struggling during the journey so we stick together," he said.
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After crossing the Mediterranean Sea, Siriki went up through Italy and crossed “the mountains and forests” to reach France through Briançon. The Ivorian was eventually stopped by police in 2018 and taken in by charities. He was 16 years old. "I was scared of everyone," said Siriki, traumatized by what he had been through. "I thought I’d see my aunt on the platform when I arrived at the ‘Gare de Lyon’ [train station] in Paris, but no one was waiting for me." He finally found lodging in Dunkirk, took his first French lessons and started working in a kitchen.
'Educated but far away'
Overcoming these difficulties doesn’t represent "success" for Siriki, who had to leave his native country to obtain a better life. "My only desire is to have a stable situation so I can settle down and start a family,” said the apprentice cook. Once he turned 18, Siriki received his first OQTF while he was still in school. "This doesn’t normally happen to young people dependent on the child protection system, known as the Aide Sociale à l’Enfance (ASE), and who are engaged in a vocational project," said a teacher at Siriki’s high school in Dunkirk. The deportation order was eventually lifted, and the young man continued his studies and obtained his CAP.
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The Ivorian continued his studies through a vocational baccalaureate program. He later signed an apprenticeship contract and obtained a temporary worker permit in 2024. The prefecture refused to renew his residence permit last October, handing him over a new OQTF. “He was scared; he waited 15 days before talking to us about it,” said Thibault. “It devastated him, so we helped him.” One of his teachers launched an online fundraiser. Solidarity took care of the rest: colleagues, associations, and anonymous donors raised enough money for a lawyer to defend Siriki. The attorney obtained a suspension of the prefecture’s decision in November.
'He is here to work'
"The prefect conditioned the renewal of his residence permit on obtaining his vocational baccalaureate [a broader, more academic vocational diploma that allows for further study, ed. note], which he narrowly failed last year. Yet the request was illegal," said Siriki’s lawyer. "Our defense focused primarily on this legal error. Failing an exam doesn’t provide grounds for refusing someone a residence permit."
While waiting for his request to be examined, Siriki continues working and studying for the exam to obtain his vocational baccalaureate, which he will be retaking this year. Yet he is far from free. "These obstacles are exhausting. How can anyone integrate in these conditions?" he wondered. "These young people, some of whom don’t speak French, take the same classes as other students in France. They are held up to the same standards, even though everything is harder for them."
Without a residence permit, Siriki could "lose everything" despite living, working and "having very good friends" in France. His story is reminiscent of the drama experienced by the Guinean Mamadou Garanké Diallo. Despite being perfectly integrated in Normandy, the young apprentice butcher faced a deportation order. He decided to try to reach the United Kingdom. The 21-year-old's body was found in September 2025 near Dunkirk. He was most likely hit by a truck.
"I have more roots here than in the Ivory Coast," said Siriki. He also has a boss who counts on him: "He is here to work. His presence is a source of wealth and diversity," said Thibault, who is waiting for an end to the deadlock, so he can see Siriki smile again.
*The first name has been changed