France bans Nigerian students and others from moving with families

The French parliament has approved legislation prohibiting Nigerian students and students from other countries from bringing their families to France.

After the approval of a revised version, this measure gained the support of President Emmanuel Macron's centrist Renaissance party and Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party.

The revised immigration policy strengthens controls on family reunification, restricts migrants' access to social benefits and prohibits the incarceration of minors in detention centers.

Namely, a controversial component of the law distinguishes between citizens and migrants, including those legally residing in France, in terms of eligibility for benefits.

The amended and tougher version of the bill was supported by right-wing parties, leading to its recent approval.

Le Pen hailed the amended measure as an “ideological victory” for the far right.

“This is our bill,” declared right-wing Republican Party leader Eric Ciotti. He described him as “firm and courageous”.

However, leftists claimed that Macron was helping the far right. “History will remember those who betrayed their convictions”, warned the leader of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure.

Furthermore, the leaders of a third of France's regions have declared their refusal to implement important legislative measures.

The French vote came hours before an EU agreement to reform the asylum system in the bloc's 27 member states.

The new pact, agreed by EU governments and members of the European Parliament, includes the creation of border detention centers and the possibility of faster deportation of rejected asylum seekers.

Hailed as a historic agreement by Parliament President Roberta Metsola, the new system allows asylum seekers to be transferred from Southern Member States, which record the highest number of arrivals, to other countries.

Source: www.lindaikejisblog.com