Restaurateurs in France want the government to speed up its asylum process and make it easier to identify suitable staff to help them fill thousands of jobs they say are increasingly snubbed by French workers.
The hotel, cafe and restaurant union GNI-Synhorcat says some businesses are downsizing or shortening their opening hours as a result of the shortage of manpower.
Under France's immigration laws, asylum seekers have to wait six months from lodging the application for refugee status before they can work.