French Parliament Passes Toughened Immigration Laws Despite Divisions
The French parliament has successfully passed legislation toughening France’s immigration policy after months of political wrangling. The amended bill, which aims to make it more difficult for migrants to bring family members to France and delays their access to welfare benefits, was backed by both President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance party and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN).
The passage of the bill divided Mr. Macron’s party, resulting in the resignation of health minister Aurélien Rousseau. Left-wing parties accused Mr. Macron of making concessions to the far right, while right-wing parties, including Marine Le Pen and the leader of the right-wing Republican party, Eric Ciotti, praised the bill as “firm and courageous.”
President Macron’s government redrafted the bill after a previous draft was rejected by parliament last week. The newly amended bill represents an ideological victory for Marine Le Pen and her far-right party, who backed the bill on Monday. However, left-wingers criticized Mr. Macron for enabling the far-right, accusing members of his party of betraying their convictions.
The new French legislation also exposed divisions within the governing alliance, with 27 MPs voting against and 32 abstaining. Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau and several other ministers are reportedly on the verge of quitting in protest at the immigration law, marking further schisms within the governing party.
The bill still needs to be assessed by the Constitutional Council to ensure its constitutionality. Meanwhile, human rights groups have denounced the new reform as the most regressive immigration law in France in decades, demonstrating the deep divide among lawmakers and the public regarding the legislation.
On the European Union front, the French vote came just hours before an EU agreement to reform the asylum system across the bloc’s 27 member states. The new pact includes creating border detention centers and enabling the quicker deportation of rejected asylum seekers, highlighting the broader scope of immigration policies across Europe and the ongoing political debates around these issues.