Gérald Darmanin declares himself “in favor” of “restrictions” on family reunification

The government is open to changes to its immigration bill. Heard by the Senate Law Commission on Tuesday, February 28, Gérald Darmanin said to himself “favorable” to amendments which would make it possible to introduce “provisions that could limit family reunification”. The Home Secretary says to have “heard a lot of senators (…) proposing restrictions”. As it stands, the text presented on February 1 in the Council of Ministers and which must be examined from the end of March in the Senate, with a majority on the right, does not provide for any provision on the subject.

But the Minister of the Interior listed three avenues of “restrictions”one of which could consist in re-discussing the reception conditions (size of accommodation, income, length of stay in the territory, etc.) required of foreigners who wish to bring their family to France. “If the Senate went towards modifications” which would impose “larger accommodation, higher remuneration and above all a longer condition of presence on national territory, that would seem to me to be common sense”he estimated.

Another track concerns refugees who are entitled to “family reunification”, which he wishes to restrict to the strict family unit. “When we give asylum to someone, we give it to his family that [ne] doesn’t seem shocking to me. But should you give it to your extended family? he asked again, referring to the “half brothers” And “stepsisters” sometimes included. Finally, Gérald Darmanin said he was open to imposing language tests and “Republic values” family members applying for a family reunification visa.