France's right-wing populists want to vote in favor of immigration law
The two chambers of parliament should finally pass the planned law this evening. According to the latest compromise, non-European foreigners will only be entitled to housing benefit after five years of residence in France. Exceptions are planned for migrants who work, as well as for students and recognized asylum seekers. This point had been particularly controversial until recently.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin welcomed the compromise. "There are measures that protect the French, namely toughness towards criminal foreigners, and measures of justice, such as the end of detention pending deportation for minors," said Darmanin.
The right-wing populist parliamentary group leader Marine Le Pen spoke of an "ideological victory" for her party. "Now the 'national preference', i.e. the preference of French people over foreigners for certain social benefits, is finally law," said Le Pen.
The left-wing opposition spoke of a "loss of all dignity" with regard to the right-wing populists' support for the government.
Borne had previously promised the right-wing camp a reform of medical care for migrants without the right to stay. The right-wing opposition had wanted to replace medical care for migrants with emergency aid only. The government rejected this, but then promised a revision at the beginning of 2024.
Last week, the National Assembly surprisingly rejected the Senate's tightened text on the immigration law. President Emmanuel Macron then called on the members of the committee to agree on an "intelligent compromise".
Macron had originally set the goal of passing a "balanced" immigration law that would both facilitate the deportation of rejected asylum seekers and promote the integration of working migrants. However, the right-wing majority in the Senate overturned a key article that would have given migrants the right to stay if they worked in sectors with staff shortages.
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Migrants who work in France will still be eligible for housing benefits, despite the new immigration law. The right-wing populists in France support this law, and their parliamentary group leader, Marine Le Pen, views it as an 'ideological victory'. Despite opposition from the left-wing, France's Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, has welcomed the compromise in the immigration law. The law aims to balance the deportation of rejected asylum seekers and the integration of working migrants, as desired by President Emmanuel Macron.
Source: www.stern.de
