The bill on asylum and immigration is sparking lively debates in the Senate. After numerous postponements, discussions have finally begun, with the aim of toughening measures and conditions linked to immigration in France. This text deeply divides the Upper House, as well as the opposition and even part of the majority.
The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, opened the debates by emphasizing two slogans: “firmness and simplification”. He thus hopes to arrive at a text which is at the same time strict, fair and effective. However, with a Senate majority on the right, the minister will have to convince on the repressive aspect, in particular by facilitating the expulsions of delinquent foreigners.
The first measures adopted by the High Assembly go in the direction of a tightening of immigration. Senators voted in favor of annual migration quotas determined by Parliament, a long-standing demand from the right. Gérald Darmanin did not oppose this article added by the Senate, arguing for the right of France, like all countries in the world, to choose the people it wishes to welcome on its soil.
The Senate also approved, despite opposition from the left, a tightening of the conditions for family reunification. This measure allows a foreign person to request to bring their spouse and children to France. However, there is no guarantee that the left of the presidential majority will support these measures in the National Assembly when they are examined in December.
The government therefore finds itself in a delicate situation, seeking to avoid resorting to article 49.3 of the Constitution, which allows adoption of the text without a vote, but which exposes it to a motion of censure. Republicans are making this threat, but they are unlikely to gain support from the left. The Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, affirmed that they would seek majorities, while Gérald Darmanin opposed the use of article 49.3. However, the chances of finding a passage for the text remain uncertain.
The issue is mainly being played out in the Senate, where the right-wing group and the centrists hold the majority. They could modify the text according to their wishes, provided they reach consensus. However, they differ on Article 3, which provides for a one-year renewable residence permit for undocumented workers in sectors with a labor shortage. This measure, considered contradictory by the Republicans, risks being postponed pending a possible compromise.
The question of immigration also divides the presidential majority. Part of the social wing of the macronie supports the regularization of undocumented immigrants, while others are more reserved. MP Stella Dupont, affiliated with the Renaissance group, said she was troubled by certain expressions from the government, but affirmed that the majority was attached to the balance of the text.
In short, the asylum and immigration bill raises numerous tensions in the Senate. The debates promise to be long and heated, with amendments and compromises to be found. The outcome of this law remains uncertain, but one thing is certain, it will continue to provoke passionate debates and divide the different political actors.