France has just started the parliamentary debate of the most conflictive law for the Government in the coming months: Immigration. It is problematic because it does not convince and the Executive does not have a majority in the Assembly and, furthermore, its support has weakened. Also because comes at a complex time: with the country on maximum alert due to a terrorist attack, in full escalation in the Middle East. Europe is also debating how to resolve the migration problem, after the massive arrivals of immigrants to Lampedusa a month and a half ago.
Nothing blows in favor for the Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanincreator of this rule, which aims to facilitate the expulsion of foreigners who commit crimes and who “abuse our generosity” and, at the same time, “not to put obstacles in the way of foreigners who have lived in France for a long time, who do no harm to nobody and they sing the Marseillaise like everyone,” said the minister during his speech this Monday in the Senate, at the start of the debate.
Le Ley seeks to appease the left and also the right, but it is criticized by both parties, as well as by immigrant associations. The former consider it very restrictive, because it facilitates expulsions and toughens the process for asylum applications. The right-wing and ultra-right parties believe that it is very lax, because it facilitates the regularization of clandestine workers.
The rule facilitates the expulsion of foreigners who have committed crimes, even though they have been in the country for many years. A month ago a teacher was stabbed to death in an Islamist attack in the north of the country. The perpetrator of the attack was a man of Chechen origin, booked for radicalization, but who could not be expelled because when he arrived in France he was under 13 years old. French law has a protection mechanism that prevents these minors from being expelled.
“The French do not understand that those who commit crimes cannot be expelled”Darmanin denounced in the Senate. He illustrated with an example: that of someone who arrives at 12 and a half years old and commits a blood crime at 19 years old and that of another who arrives at 13 and a half years old and steals a car also at 19. “I can’t handle the first one. expel, the second yes,” he said.