Limitation of family reunification, migratory ceilings, end of the AME, an annual debate in Parliament… LR deputies will table a new immigration law on Wednesday

The LR deputies will table a bill on immigration on Wednesday comprising around forty measures, according to information from France Inter on Monday. The group of Republicans thus intends to put pressure on the government, which wants to have its bill adopted before the end of the year.

>> Immigration law: after Les Républicains, the executive in turn lays down its red lines

The right wants to set up an annual debate in Parliament which will be used to set migratory ceilings year after year. The text also mentions a tightening of the conditions for obtaining residence permits with the creation of an installation fund in order to impose conditions of decent resources and housing. The deputies want to set a sum equivalent to four times the Smic for a couple, and six times the Smic for a family with three children.

The establishment of a “return deposit” for students

The bill also provides for the replacement of state medical aid (AME) by emergency medical aid (AMU), which is less advantageous, and to limit access to family reunification to minors under the age of 16, against 18 today. The LR deputies also propose the establishment of a “return deposit” for students, an amount which will be withheld in the event of non-compliance with an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) but which will be returned if the student leaves voluntarily or obtains a new residence permit. Among the measures there is still a facilitation of expulsions, with the return of the double penalty, that is to say the fact of expelling foreigners after their conviction has been carried out. This device was limited to very rare cases in 2003, by the Minister of the Interior at the time Nicolas Sarkozy.

A forthcoming constitutional law to free oneself from European rules

The end of accommodation for rejected asylum applications, and placement in an administrative detention center for asylum seekers who are nationals of “safe countries” whose request will be examined within fifteen days, are also mentioned in this LR bill.

Eric Ciotti’s party plans at the same time to table a constitutional bill, which LR executives have already said should allow France to free itself from European rules in terms of immigration. For its part, the government refuses any emancipation from the European treaties.