What are the main French parties' campaign promises on immigration?

RFI

28 June 2024 at 1:24 am·1-min read

The far-right has made immigration its key campaign issue in France's upcoming parliamentary elections, but how to approach asylum and migration also figures high in the manifestos of both the centrists and the left. Here's a rundown of their radically different stances.

The far-right, anti-immigration National Rally (RN) has, unsurprisingly, made combatting immigration a priority.

A leading headline on its online programme is "Stop the flood of immigrants" in which it refers to "drastically" cutting both legal and illegal immigration, and deporting "delinquent" foreigners.

Party leader Jordan Bardella says that, if elected, he will submit an "emergency law" on immigration to the lower house of parliament within weeks of the 7 July runoff.

It would include the abolition of France’s "droit du sol" (jus soli), which automatically grants French nationality at 18 to people born in France to foreign parents, providing they have lived here for at least five years since the age of 11.

Under the RN, acquiring citizenship would be restricted to people born to at least one French parent. It would also be subject to strict conditions of assimilation, mastery of the French language and respect for French laws and customs.

The RN also plans to toughen conditions for family reunification and replace state medical aid for undocumented immigrants with a fund that would cover only life-threatening emergencies.

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