The immigration law “goes against the humanist ideals of openness that this country professes”, believes the writer Felwine Sarr

Immigration law “goes against the humanist ideals of openness that this country professes”, criticized the Senegalese writer Felwine Sarr on France Inter, Sunday January 7. In The places my dreams live, his latest work, published on January 4 by Zulma, the author tells the story of Senegalese twins with distinct paths, one of whom stays in his native country while the other leaves for France in Orléans, where he is forced to work in the agricultural sector to pay for his studies. This is the story of Felwine Sarr.

“We worked in the apple fields during the fall, before going to register” at university, the writer tells France Inter. “And in the summer, we worked in the cherry fields and at that time, the residence permits did not give us the right to work on a temporary basis. And so these are the conditions in which we study, we are obliged to have odd jobs and to fight and succeed.” Through this book, Felwine Sarr wanted to tell “the tension of welcome”.

Far-right proposals become “acceptable”

This past pushes the writer to reject outright the government’s immigration law, adopted by Parliament. Felwine Sarr critiques a text “absolutely disastrous”he sees a law which “creates a split between categories of French”. Whether it is those “who may be subject to forfeiture of nationality” or those who “were born here and do not automatically have the right to land” and who, with this new immigration law, “will have to wait until they are 18”.

Political proposals “extreme right” became “acceptable and common”worries Felwine Sarr, who wonders “what happened to this country”. The government denies having created a law wanted by the French based on polls, but “governing is not following group atavisms” Who “can be blinded”defends the Senegalese thinker, instead recommending to political leaders “propose paths of light”.