Macronism and the Republican right agree on tougher version of immigration law in France

The Republican right and the far right were the big winners in a series that weakened Macron and definitively destroyed the promise – or rather the miracle – of a centrist leader capable of “uniting the best of the right and the left.” “We have reached an agreement in the parliament on the immigration law,” emphasized the social network X. Interior Minister Gérald DarmaninIt does not emerge as particularly strengthened by all the series that accompany this law, which was submitted to the Council of Ministers in February.

Conservative MP Olivier Marleix said, “The right of Interior Minister Charles Pasqua, who implemented harsh immigration policies in the 80s and 90s, has been restored.” Speaking to the press in the corridors of the Parliament, the head of the LR parliamentary group boasted of the numerous measures he had created during the negotiations. “This is an ideological victory because the national priority is included in this law,” said Marine Le Pen, a member of her party who will vote in favor of the text. he congratulated.

On the one hand, the Republican right and the far right managed to get the Macronist Administration to abandon the inclusion in the law of special residence permits for illegal immigrants working in professions with labor shortages. On the other hand, they managed to get Macronism to accept proposals that until a few weeks ago were considered red lines, such as limiting one device for irregular immigrants to receive medical care and restricting foreigners’ access to help paying rent.

A political series

Following this agreement, the law, popularly known as the Darmanin Law in reference to the Minister of Internal Affairs, will be voted on in the Lower House and the Senate this Tuesday night. This time, he is most likely to have the support of a majority of MPs, despite possible defections in the moderate wing of the Macronist coalition, especially among representatives of the centrist MoDem party. While the Macron Government has managed to put forward its most notable law this autumn, it does so with a payoff. high price Like this. He does so not only after bowing to the demands of the Republican right — with a speech on immigration issues similar to Le Pen’s — but also after a lackluster political series.

Thanks to an unlikely alliance between the left, the Republican right and the far right, last week the National Assembly passed a resolution rejecting the Darmanin law. After this parliamentary defeat, which showed the weakness of the Macron Government in the Lower House, where it does not have an absolute majority, the Executive decided to preserve the text, and its fate depended on the joint committee of 14 deputies. and senators. Since L-R was clearly in the majority in the Senate, they had the upper hand in this meeting without cameras or journalists. This started at five o’clock on Monday afternoon but was quickly suspended. There were parallel negotiations and calls from Macron demanding a deal.

Almost 24 hours later and after the corresponding night suspension, the chairman of the commission announced the white smoke in the afternoon. The final agreement represents a tougher version of Darmanin’s law. Conceived from the outset as a law that is more restrictive than social, the text aims to facilitate and accelerate the deportation of immigrants in irregular situations, as well as foreigners who have committed serious crimes. In particular, it expands the possibility of deporting from French territory foreigners who arrived in France before the age of 13, as well as those who have lived in the country for more than ten years, if they “have extraordinary behaviour”. “threatening public order” or sexist (or domestic) violence.

“Insult to the spirit of lights”

To gain the support of the Republican right, the prime minister Elisabeth Bornecommitted himself with a letter Restricting benefits that allow immigrants to receive medical care. The last text is also disorderly stay crimeThe law, which was repealed by socialist François Hollande in 2012, could sentence any immigrant living in France without a visa or paperwork to one year in prison. Will tighten conditions to allow family reunion from foreign families. This law also includes the stripping of French citizenship of binational persons found guilty of premeditated murder of a police or military officer. To ask for help to pay the rent, one must have worked for three months or lived in the country for five years.

Instead of a special permit for immigrants working in sectors with low labor force, there is also the opportunity for governors to make “case-by-case” regulations. So this is a device similar to, if not more restrictive than, the one that has existed since the circular adopted by Manuel Valls ten years ago. The biggest losers with the finishing touches foreign studentsespecially those from countries outside the European Union. They may suffer not only from restrictions on accessing help paying rent, but also from the creation of a “deposit” that anyone traveling to the country to study must pay.

“This is an insult to the spirit of the lights,” the presidents of several French universities, who generally do not take a stance on political issues, complained in a statement on Monday. “We are facing a moment of great dishonor on the part of the government,” criticized Socialist MP Boris Vallaud. “This is one of the harshest immigration laws in recent years,” criticized rebel Mathilde Panot.

Even though the left parties could not emerge stronger from this feuilleton They remain the only ones to defend the promise of a humanist and tolerant France – with the vote on the motion last week contributing to the eventual hardening that could also occur in traditional parliamentary debates. An ideal that President Macron has given up on with this law.