France promulgates tough anti-immigration law and here’s what we know

PARIS – The president-backed immigration bill has been passed by the French parliament, paving the way for restrictions against the immigrants.

The lower house voted in favor of the legislation by a wide majority as 349 voted in favor and 186 against it; the senate had already passed the legislation.

The bill had been voted down without even being debated in the National Assembly last week that visibly perturbed Emanuel Macron and his allies.

The most important part of the bill is that social security benefits for immigrants will now be conditioned on five years of presence in France, or 30 months for those who are employed. 

Under the piece of legislation, migration quotas can also be agreed now and there are measures for dual-national convicts being deprived of French nationality. 

The 41-year-old Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin is being credited and criticized for having devised the bill as the ruling regime did not even need the support of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN).

“We can rejoice in ideological progress, an ideological victory even for the National Rally, since this is now enshrined into law as a national priority,” said Le Pen.

The bill was criticized by the rights groups and pro-immigration supporters who voiced concerns about this legislation which can have far-reaching consequences.

Meanwhile, dozens of NGOs also took aim at the legislation and termed the law the “most regressive” immigration law in decades. 

It is “the most regressive bill of the past 40 years for the rights and living conditions of foreigners, including those who have long been in France,” around 50 groups including the French Human Rights League said in a joint statement.