France restricts, among other things, social benefits for immigrants and family reunification. The president's camp is deeply divided, a prime minister announced his resignation and the right-wing extremist group Rassemblement National celebrated its “ideological victory”.
It was difficult until the end, but on Tuesday night it became clear that the French government had approved its controversial migration law. Its original aim was to more closely control immigration and improve integration. In addition to tightening immigration rules, easier access to a residence permit was planned for the approximately 900,000 people who live illegally in the country and work in scarce professions, such as in the nursing, construction or catering sectors, and some of the which have long paid into social security funds. But this project is now being severely restricted. Given that Macron's party only has a relative majority in the National Assembly and depended on the approval of conservative Republicans, it made a series of concessions to them.
Several ministers threatened to resign
The law was approved with the votes of bourgeois republicans, the right-wing extremist Rassemblement National (RN) and the majority of the presidential Renaissance party. But 27 members of the left wing voted against and 32 abstained – an unprecedented move that illustrated the division running through the party. Several ministers threatened to resign and Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau confirmed that he wanted to leave the cabinet.
The biggest point of contention was the move to subject various social benefits to migrants to conditions in the future. The compromise reached stipulates that foreigners must live in France for at least five years or work there for three months to receive the APL housing benefit. Family reunification is also being reinforced.
People with dual citizenship can lose French nationality
Parliament is also expected to debate immigration quotas annually. The crime of illegally staying in the country, which socialist president François Hollande abolished in 2012, is back. People with dual citizenship who commit crimes against law enforcement officials may lose their French nationality. Students from countries outside the EU must pay a deposit to be admitted to a French university. Several presidents of elite universities and colleges criticized the move as an “insult to the Enlightenment” and complained of the serious consequences for its international appeal.
The controversial issue of medical assistance for people without regular residence permits in the country was excluded from the law and should be negotiated next year. Republicans wanted significant restrictions and conversion to pure emergency aid.
Left-wing parties, as well as unions and non-governmental organizations, such as Doctors Without Borders, warned about the law with dismayed words. “All red lines were crossed to reach the navy blue line,” said socialist deputy Boris Vallaud, alluding to the leader of the RN parliamentary group, Marine Le Pen, celebrating an “ideological victory” for her right-wing extremist party.
Macron wanted a law at any price
While the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, was pleased with the “strong and decisive” result, which would have narrowly achieved it even without the RN's votes, the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, described some of the measures as ” terribly unpleasant”. “I do not approve of not granting family benefits or housing subsidies to a person who is legally in the country and has children.” She also said this to Emmanuel Macron. But the president wanted a law at any price.
A decision from the Constitutional Council is now awaited to examine the constitutionality of the text. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne acknowledged on Wednesday that several measures may not be in compliance.