Nigerian students and other immigrants are facing tougher immigration rules as the French parliament has passed a new law preventing them from bringing their families to the country.
This move follows a similar policy by the British government, which also announced new restrictions stopping Nigerian students and other nationalities studying in the United Kingdom from bringing their families over.
According to a report by the BBC on Thursday, the law was supported by President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance party and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally.
Background and Legislative Process
Initially, a previous draft of the law was rejected by parliament last week when both the National Rally and the left voted against it. In response, the government redrafted the bill, making some of its provisions tougher.
Highlights of the Immigration Policy
- The new immigration policy makes it harder for migrants to bring family members to France and delays their access to welfare benefits.
- It bans detaining minors in detention centers, although leaders of a third of French regions said they would not comply with certain measures in the law.
- A controversial provision discriminates between citizens and migrants, even those living in the country legally, in determining eligibility for benefits.
- The tougher version of the bill appealed to right-wing parties, who supported it on Monday. Marine Le Pen welcomed the amended bill, calling it an “ideological victory” for the far-right.
- Eric Ciotti, the leader of the right-wing Republican party, called it “firm and courageous.”
Opposition to the Bill
However, left-wingers accused President Macron of enabling the far-right. “History will remember those who betrayed their convictions,” said Socialist party leader Olivier Faure.
32 of France’s 101 departments, including Paris, said they would refuse to implement the provisions of the law on benefits for non-citizens. The French vote came just hours before an EU agreement to reform the asylum system across the bloc’s 27 member states.
EU Agreement on Asylum System
The new pact, agreed upon by EU governments and European Parliament members, includes creating border detention centers and enabling the quicker deportation of rejected asylum seekers.
Divisions Within the Governing Alliance
The new French legislation revealed divisions within the governing alliance, as 27 MPs voted against it while 32 abstained – almost a quarter of pro-Macron MPs. Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau, who was a member of the Communist Party in his youth, stepped down in protest at the immigration law.
“Some measures in the bill make me very uncomfortable,” said Yaël Braun-Pivet, the president of the lower house of parliament and a member of Macron’s party.
Similar Measures in Other Countries
Recall that earlier in May 2023, the UK Government announced new restrictions that will stop Nigerian students and other nationalities studying in the UK from bringing their families over.
- The new rule banned all master’s students and many other postgraduate students from bringing family over. However, the ban will not apply to PhD students, whose courses usually last between 3 and 5 years and are very highly skilled.
- The UK government’s decision was in response to the alarming surge in net migration, which has reached a staggering one million individuals.
- Conservative MPs had to urgently call on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to address and regain control over immigration figures.
Additionally, about two weeks ago, the Canadian government announced that starting from January 2024, international students must show new proof of funds to the tune of $20,000. The new cost is more than double the current requirement of $10,000, an amount brought in during the early 2000s that has not been adjusted since.
- For 2024, a single applicant will need to show they have $20,635, representing 75% of LICO, in addition to their first year of tuition and travel costs.
- The government announced the extension of the waiver on the 20-hour per week work cap for international students until April 30, 2024.
- This extension applies only to students already present in Canada and those who submitted a study permit application as of December 7th, 2023.