PARIS – In a major blow to the ruling regime, the lawmakers voted against the immigration reforms long-planned by the French president Emanual Macron and his like-minded allies.
The government suffered a setback on Monday after a cross-party coalition rejected the proposals backed by the president himself, voting 270-265 to reject them without even a debate.
Interestingly, moderates and extremists were unified on rejecting the bill though the government had advocated that the bill would help with the integration of migrants, while also controlling immigration better.
The bill has been toned down as in the initial draft, measures restricting access to healthcare and benefits were also suggested.
Commenting on the piece of legislation, Clemence Guette of the far-left La France Insoumise party termed the bill “xenophobic chatter”, with her party arguing that all irregular migrants should be given an unconditional right to stay and work in France.
Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party, celebrated the bill’s failure, saying this had “protected the French from a migratory tidal wave”.
The politician vowed to table a new bill that would focus on “keeping irregular migrants in check” and “forcing irregular migrants to leave the country”.
The government’s defeat was confirmed when Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin offered his resignation following the surprise defeat, though Macron told him to stay in office and find a new way of getting the bill passed.
What bothers the ruling regime is the fact that this is the first time in 25 years that a government bill was rejected before even being debated by parliament.
In terms of the details, the bill’s stricter provisions include the easier expulsion of people who have settled in France but “do not respect the values of the republic”, including those convicted of certain crimes. The bill – disliked by leftwing lawmakers and rights groups – also lowers the age at which foreigners could be expelled. Moreover, the legislation also made it tough for families to join their loved ones, setting requirements for health insurance and a regular income.
The bill also set “objectives” on immigration and some of the experts said it was equivalent to bringing in a form of quotas that would fix the number of entries to France.
The bill was not draconian in toto as it also aims to facilitate the regularization process regarding the entry, residence and deportation of undocumented migrants.
Despite the failure, the government has vowed to chalk out new piece of legislation to move forward with its agenda. The government spokesperson, Olivier Véran said a parliamentary committee would start work “as soon as possible” to deliver a compromise text.
