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The French Constitutional Council annulled this Thursday the most controversial measures of President Emmanuel Macron's immigration reform, including the introduction of quotas by Parliament, the restriction of family reunification and the introduction of the crime of “irregular residence”.
“The Constitutional Council condemns 32 articles of the 'Law to control immigration and improve integration', of which there were 86,” announced the Supreme Court, which also amended five other articles of this reform, the adoption of which triggered a serious crisis in the civil service.
The nine “wise men”, as the members of the court are called, lifted restrictions on family reunification, tightening access to social benefits and the payment of a “bond” for the return of foreign students.
Other measures abolished include the reintroduction of the crime of irregular residence, the setting of immigration quotas by Parliament and the granting of long-term visas for Britons with a second home in France.
The Supreme Court thus deletes from the text the main measures that Macron's centrist alliance, which does not have an absolute majority in parliament, agreed with the right-wing opposition Republicans (LR) in order to secure their support for this controversial reform in December.
However, the tightening of the law led to a crisis in Macron's party and government, which led to the resignation of a minister and the dismissal of almost all critics of the reform during a government reshuffle in early January.
Thousands of people also demonstrated against the reform on Sunday, and their opponents – associations, groups, lawyers and unions – denounced on Thursday near the Council a text that “severely violates the rights of exiles”.
tjc/acc