The French parliament has officially approved a controversial immigration bill after it received the support of 349 deputies in the National Assembly and faced 186 opposing votes following its endorsement in the Senate. After lengthy and challenging negotiations, a joint version of the contentious text was agreed upon between the members of the National Assembly and the Senate. Here are the ten main points included in the new immigration law:
1. **Regularizing Undocumented Workers**: A special one-year residency permit will be issued under strict conditions for undocumented workers in occupations suffering from labor shortages in France, such as construction and social services, after this issue had been stagnant.
2. **Changing Residency Duration for Social Benefits**: The new law requires non-European Union residents living legally in France to demonstrate a minimum duration of stay (5 years for non-workers and 30 months for workers) to access social benefits, whereas previously, non-European foreigners could receive these benefits immediately.
3. **Housing Assistance**: Foreign workers can benefit from rent support after three months of arriving in France, while non-working foreigners must wait five years, contrasting with the previous system where non-European foreigners received this support immediately, especially students.
4. **Revocation of Citizenship and Birthright**: Children of foreign families born in France can apply for citizenship between the ages of 16 and 18, provided they have not committed any crimes. Dual citizens who commit crimes against security forces can be stripped of their French nationality. The previous law did not allow denying citizenship for those born in France upon their request, nor did it permit revoking citizenship for offenders.
5. **Family Reunification**: The conditions for family reunification have been tightened, extending the required residency duration in France from 18 to 24 months, necessitating sufficient resources and raising the minimum age of the partner to 21.
6. **Language Requirement**: Foreigners applying for their first multi-year residency permit must demonstrate a minimum knowledge of the French language (with the required skills to be determined by decree). Currently, residency permits are generally issued for four years with a single condition of attending French language training as part of the integration contract, without any obligation for the outcome. However, proof of minimum French language proficiency will be required for a ten-year residency card and for obtaining French citizenship.
7. **Criminalizing Illegal Residence**: The legal classification of illegal residence as a criminal offense will be reinstated, having been abolished in 2012 in line with European laws, with a penalty of 3,750 euros for offenders. Individuals under 13 years old when they arrived in France can be deported, as can foreign parents of children holding French nationality.
8. **Financial Guarantee for Foreign Students**: Foreign students coming to France for education will be required to provide a financial guarantee. This deposit aims to cover the costs of returning a student in case of a deportation decision.
9. **State Medical Assistance**: The postponement of the cancellation of medical assistance for undocumented individuals has been sanctioned, with restrictions on obtaining residency permits for "sick foreigners."
10. **Administrative Detention Centers**: Foreign minors under the age of 16 are prohibited from being placed in administrative detention centers (CRA), even when accompanied by adults. This measure reflects the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
It is noted that the right and far-right parties voted in favor of the text, while the left opposed it. Additionally, centrist parties supporting the government experienced divisions regarding the text. Following the vote, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin welcomed the approval of the bill, stating in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that "the immigration text has been definitively adopted. A long battle for better integration of foreigners and the deportation of those who commit criminal acts. A strong and firm text."
