Gérald Darmanin affirmed, on Tuesday July 26, “assume a form of double jeopardy” for foreign offenders who, once convicted, would be expelled. Guest of BFM-TV, the Minister of the Interior argued that the government had “decided to focus on foreigners who commit criminal acts”.
He pointed out that the government had withdrawn “70,000 residence permits” to foreign offenders. “When you are a foreigner and you arrive on national soil, you respect the laws of the Republic or else you leavehe launched. This is a common sense policy. We judge foreigners for what they do, not for who they are. »
Early in the morning, Mr. Darmanin announced on RTL the presentation “back to school in September” of a law to lift ” reserves “ legislative measures preventing the expulsion from the territory of delinquent foreigners.
A “drift unworthy of the Republic”
Relevant on BFM that “current law” allowed the government “to do a lot of things”, he explained that he would like this law to abolish the legislative provision according to which a foreigner who arrived in France before the age of 13 is not deportable. He clarified that this would only apply in the event of “serious crimes and misdemeanors”. In the morning, he had cited as another disposition to suppress the fact “to have contracted a marriage”.
Believing that such a law would confirm “alignment with the positions of the extreme right” of Mr. Darmanin, SOS-Racisme called for putting “an end to this drift worthy of [Marine] The pen [et du premier ministre hongrois ultraconservateur Viktor] Orban, but unworthy of the Republic”.
Gérald Darmanin also wanted an extension of the duration of the obligations to leave French territory (OQTF) to two years, against one year currently, to allow recourse and appeals. In 2020, less than 10% of OQTFs were applied. “In the first semester [2022], argued Mr. Darmanin, we have increased by 25%” the number of expulsions with 9,685 leaving the territory (forced and assisted removals), according to the ministry.
“I don’t regret anything, I wasn’t going to let him go”
The Minister also felt that the number of places in administrative detention centers (CRA) should be increased; he announced the opening “of a new center in Lyon”. Mr. Darmanin made a point of explaining that he “preferred to keep on national soil a foreigner, who certainly is irregularly on national soil, but wants to work, fit into society rather than keep on national soil” a delinquent stranger.
According to the Interior Ministry, “since October 2020”France removed “2,751 perpetrators of public order disturbances, including 25% of drug trafficking perpetrators and 35% of personal harm (domestic violence, sexual offences, etc.) and 770 foreigners known for acts of radicalization”.
These announcements come as Mr. Darmanin found himself at the center of a controversy this weekend about the assault on police officers in Lyon. He had announced the arrest of a man in an irregular situation. The prosecution then clarified that this suspect had been released and exonerated. The Minister maintained his decision to deport this person. ” I regret nothing, he said. Someone with multiple convictions and otherwise out of order, I wasn’t going to let him go. Well no ! »
Aggression of 3 police officers in #Lyon: Gérald Darmanin assumes his tweet. “I have absolutely no regrets” #RTLMatin https://t.co/Cao8D4zPMu