The French parliament passes controversial immigration bill despite facing major rebellion

The French parliament approved a controversial immigration bill on Tuesday, supported by President Emmanuel Macron’s government despite facing significant rebellion from within his own party. The bill, which tightens rules for immigrants, passed the lower house with the support of the country’s far-right, marking a policy victory for Macron but revealing divisions within his centrist majority.

The bill is considered a compromise between Macron’s party and the conservative opposition. It passed the lower house without the ruling party needing the support of the far-right, but its endorsement by the far-right National Rally (RN) has caused embarrassment within Macron’s camp. Members of Macron’s Renaissance Party, particularly those leaning left, have expressed dissatisfaction and accused the government of yielding to pressure from the far-right.

Initially, Macron’s government proposed measures to simplify residency permit processes for migrants working in labor-deficient sectors while making it easier to expel illegal migrants. However, to gain support from conservatives, they agreed to water down some of the residency permit measures. The revised bill delays migrants’ access to welfare benefits, including those for children and housing allowances, by several years.

France, known for one of the most generous welfare systems globally, provides financial assistance and support to foreign residents. The far-right argues that these measures should be reserved for French citizens, leading to the delay of housing benefits for unemployed non-European Union migrants by at least five years.

The bill introduces migration quotas, makes it more challenging for children of immigrants to obtain French citizenship, and stipulates that dual nationals convicted of serious crimes against the police could lose French citizenship.

While Macron’s presidency faces potential threats due to the voters’ shift towards far-right ideas, the bill has exposed divisions within the centrist majority. Most left-wing MPs either abstained or voted against it, claiming that the migration bill contradicts promises made to resist far-right ideologies.