Macron Tries to Tackle Illegal Mass Immigration – Tough Legislation Approved by French Senate Heads to Vote by National Assembly

 

France, like the US, has been swamped by mass illegal migration.

It’s a Europe-wide phenomenon: from Italy’s Giorgia Meloni in the Mediterranean south, up to Rishi Sunak by the British Channel, passing by Germany’s Olaf Scholz – all political leaders are under immense pressure from their constituencies to tackle – in a firm and decisive manner – the rampant illegal flood that is hurting their economies and destroying their cultures.

In France, things are at a breaking point. President Emmanuel Macron goes from crisis to crisis, always tasking law enforcement to deal with the unemployed, young migrants one step away from open rebellion.

But now, Senators have openly approved a tough immigration bill to strengthen France’s ability to expel illegal foreigners that are deemed ‘undesirable’.

 

AFP reported:

“Originally proposed by President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist government with a mix of steps to expel more undocumented people and improve integration, the text – voted through by 210 to 115 – now leans firmly towards enforcement after its passage through the Senate, which is controlled by the right.

‘The Senate has restored the bill’s consistency by toughening it up’, said Bruno Retailleau, the head of the right-wing Republicans faction in the upper house.”

X post by Interior Minister Darmanin.

Some aspects of the initial bill were stricken out, like the government’s plan to offer ‘a general right’ for undocumented migrants ‘working in sectors with labor shortages’ to stay legally.

“Their [the Senators’] version of the bill also further restricts the ability for migrants to bring family members into France, birthright citizenship and welfare benefits. It would introduce an annual quota for the number of migrant arrivals to be set by parliament and remove all but emergency medical coverage for undocumented people.”

The passage of the bill is not certain, as the National Assembly (lower house), where no side has a majority, still has to vote on it.

“The bill is unlikely to pass in any form without support from the Republicans in the National Assembly, whose leader Olivier Marleix said Tuesday that he wanted to ‘keep toughening up the text’.

‘We have to get a bill revised on a few points that would allow some or all of the Republicans either to back it or abstain’, one minister told AFP on condition of anonymity.”