The French Constitutional Council annulled this Thursday the most controversial measures of President Emmanuel Macron's immigration reform, among them the establishment of quotas by Parliament, the limitation of family reunification and the creation of a crime of “irregular stay”.
“The Constitutional Council censures 32 articles of 'the law to control immigration, improve integration', which had 86,” announced the high court, which also modified five other articles of this reform, whose approval generated a serious crisis in the ruling party.
The toughening of the law, however, caused a crisis in Macron's party and government, which resulted in the resignation of a minister.
The nine “Wise Men”, as the members of the court are known, removed the restrictions imposed on family reunification, the tightening of access to social benefits and the payment by foreign students of a “bond” for their return.
Other measures eliminated are the reintroduction of a crime of irregular stay, the establishment of immigration quotas by Parliament and the granting of a long-term visa to British people with a secondary residence in France.
The high court thus removes from the text the main measures that Macron's centrist alliance, which lacks an absolute majority in Parliament, agreed with the right-wing opposition of The Republicans (LR) to achieve its support in December for this controversial reform.
The toughening of the law, however, caused a crisis in Macron's party and government, which resulted in the resignation of a minister and the dismissal of almost all those who criticized the reform during a government reshuffle in early January.
Thousands of people also demonstrated on Sunday against the reform, and their opponents – associations, groups, jurists and unions – denounced on Thursday near the Council a text that “seriously violated the rights of exiled people.”
Migrant expulsions increase
Expulsions of immigrants in an irregular situation increased in France by 10.7% in 2023 compared to the previous year, and in particular the number of foreigners who committed crimes grew significantly, the number of which was almost a third higher than in 2022 and double that of 2021.
The total number of those expelled from French territory was 17,048, and if we add the people in an irregular situation who left even without any type of order, the number rises to 22,704, which is 16.9% more than in 2022.
The data comes from a report prepared by the independent statistical service of the Ministry of the Interior and published this Thursdaythe same day that the French Constitutional Council issued its decision on the controversial new immigration law, which has tightened the conditions for the entry and stay of foreigners.
AFP and Efe
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