A Belgian couple who have lived in the French department of Drôme (southeastern France) for years have been denied French nationality because they allegedly do not have a sufficient command of the language, Het Laatste Nieuws reports.
French, however, is Martine and Vincent Lenoir's mother tongue.
"French is our mother tongue, we did all our studies in the French-speaking education system in Belgium," Martine and Vincent, who have lived, worked and paid their taxes in France for nine and 24 years respectively, told Le Parisien.
For a year and a half, they have been trying to obtain French citizenship, specifically to vote in France. "We would like to vote for the people who define our lives here," Vincent explained, who moved to the region in 1999 to work for Saint-Jean, a major French pasta manufacturer.
"We have always worked and have never been a burden on French society," he added.
Vincent holding a French language test certificate. Tweet translation: They are Belgian, French-speaking and live in the Drôme region, and yet they are refused French nationality.
They submitted their application in May 2022, but have moved no further along in the process almost two years down the line. They were both rejected several times because they could not prove they spoke French.
According to French authorities, their diplomas – which they obtained at French-speaking schools – are "insufficient proof" of their language level. Even the language test Vincent took at certification body ETS apparently does not prove his command of the language. Martine has even recently published a book in French, but cannot prove her proficiency in the language, according to the French State.
Both Martine and her husband appealed the ruling. Martine's was rejected, but Vincent is still waiting for an answer from the prefecture. "We feel rejected, it's unfair."
