French Parliament has approved new strict immigration law

What has happened

The French parliament has passed an immigration law that will introduce stricter rules for foreigners coming to France. The move has aroused tense political debates and revealed unexpected alliances.

The backbone of the matter

The bill, led by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, was initially rejected by Macron's party for a vote as an act of rebellion after the bill received support from the far-right National Rally (RN) led by Marine Le Pen.

However, after a new immigration law was approved to make the legislation more agreeable for the right and the government relaxed some measures, it was successfully passed.

The key provisions of the legislation:

• Residence permits. The government, in an effort to appease right-wing factions, has relaxed measures allowing some immigrants to obtain residency permits. In addition, the length of stay required for migrants to receive social benefits has been extended.

This means migrants will be eligible to receive government emergency healthcare benefits at least for some time, whereas the previous bill sought to strip migrants of that benefit from the beginning.

• Housing benefits. Under new legislation, unemployed non-EU migrants will be unable to access housing benefits for up to five years.
• Migration quotas. By introducing migration quotas, the government has tightened the procedure for obtaining French citizenship for the children of immigrants.
• Residence permit for labor needs. The bill makes it easier for migrants working in sectors experiencing labor shortages to obtain a residence permit, as it was originally planned in the first version of the bill.
• Expulsion of illegal migrants. At the same time, the legislation simplifies the process of deporting illegal migrants, ensuring a tougher stance on immigration controls.

Controversy

The bill was heavily criticized by many actors, especially Green legislators, who urged members of parliament not to vote on the bill.

“This immigration bill is part of a dynamic of criminalisation and stigmatisation of migrants promoted by the right and the centre at the national and European levels,” the Green Party said in a statement.

Political consequences

While the passing of the bill  is a political victory for Macron, the support it has received from Marine Le Pen and the far-right National Rally could have an impact on the next elections. Le Pen called the stricter bill a “great ideological victory” for the far right that would potentially strengthen her position in the upcoming elections.

InfoMigrants reports that the immigrant population in France is estimated at 5.1 million, representing almost 7.6% of the population, while authorities say there are between 600,000 and 700,000 undocumented immigrants in the country.

Source: Schengen Visa Info

Photo by Anthony DELANOIX on Unsplash

Quoting conditions of Prian.info materials