France joins other European nations in tightening up immigration laws. The new French immigration law cuts down on 'family reunification', preferring to draw skilled workers instead, and forces immigrants to sign an 'immigration contract' and take French and civics lessons.
PARIS (Reuters) - The French parliament on Friday formally adopted a controversial law to encourage selective immigration of skilled workers.
The legislation, proposed by France's tough-talking Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, triggered heavy criticism from the opposition and immigrant groups when it was first launched.
The law aims to attract skilled workers while excluding unqualified immigrants.
But critics say it will stigmatise foreigners, discriminate against the poor and undermine France's traditional role as a haven for the persecuted.
The bill had already been adopted by the lower house in May and approval on Friday was expected after an agreement in the joint committee of the Senate and lower house earlier this week.
Sarkozy told parliament the law would give the government tools to promote "immigration of choice" and would mean immigrants would be better accepted by the rest of society.
Before the law was adopted, Sarkozy said November's riots by youths in poor suburbs where many immigrants live showed the immigration and integration system was failing and needed a revamp.
But he faced accusations of racism and xenophobia and demonstrations when he visited Africa.
The law creates a three-year "skills and talents" residence permit to attract skilled workers but also allows in workers in sectors facing unskilled labour shortages.
It also makes it harder for resident immigrants to bring their families to France, requires newcomers to take French and civics lessons and ends their automatic right to a long-term residence permit after 10 years in France.
Source: Reuters (English)
3 comments:
Good thing! And we should be ashamed as most of the Islam countries had similar rulings for decennies: only economicla migration and workers were allowed to enter. Unfortunately most of them, when they did not come from the West were and are still more or less considered as slaves. Maybe we should follow their exemples somewhat further the same way?
That is a very good point. I do wonder how Muslim countries enable family reunification immigration, if at all.
My best guess is:
1. for immigrant workers from the developping countries, no family reunion at all! In fact as soon as their job is finished they have to leave, no way to get there any unemployment status nor money as we allowed in Europe.
2. ex-pats can probably take their direct family with them. Of course no settlement is allowed unless in resorts such as the one where Michael Jackson sits (or sleeps). Few decennies ago, no female ex-pats were allowed in countries such as Arabia. Therefor secretaries had to be males and these were lucky that Quran rules were no applied on them in those days as most of these male secretaries did not exactly behave as would be expected from males in Arabia...
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