France must better control its borders, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier told parliament today, quoted by Reuters.
“We are no longer able to satisfactorily control our immigration policies,” he said. Barnier added that France should follow Germany in its steps to control its borders in Europe, but will continue to comply with European Union rules.
In September, Germany temporarily brought back border checks, including at its borders with France, Belgium and the Netherlands, as part of efforts to tackle illegal immigration and cross-border crime.
Barnier announced a tightening of migration measures, notes AFP regarding the prime minister’s speech.Â
In particular, he said, more efficient processing of asylum applications or to facilitate the detention of foreigners in an irregular situation will be implemented. Barnier also hinted that authorities may reduce visas issued to nationals of countries that refuse to take back asylum seekers returned to them by France whose applications have been rejected by French immigration authorities.
Barnier called for the immediate implementation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, adopted by the EU last May and aimed at tightening measures to combat illegal immigration in the bloc.
In addition, France will continue as long as necessary to restore control of its own borders, under the possibility of a temporary exemption from the application of some of the European regulations, Barnier announced.
“We must be ruthless with the traffickers and channelers who exploit the misery and despair at the cost of the lives of thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea or in the English Channel, where deadly shipwrecks have multiplied in recent years,” Barnier said.
The prime minister also mentioned the possibility of negotiating with the countries with which there are long-standing bilateral agreements, when these agreements do not correspond to the realities of today.
These words are reminiscent of the speeches of the new French interior minister, Bruno Reutaillo, who said he supports the idea of ​​France revising some agreements with Algeria that until now made it easier for Algerian citizens to come to France.
Riotaillo, who is from Barnier’s party – the conservative right-wing Republicans – sparked controversy by saying that “immigration is not a chance” and regretting not being able to hold a referendum on the issue in France.
In recent months, a number of European countries have increased measures to deter migration and limit the right to asylum, thus siding with far-right movements that continue to advance in elections in various European countries.
As Barnier delivered his program speech in parliament, protests were held across France at the call of the trade unions. During them, the protesters demanded the cancellation of the controversial pension reform adopted under Elizabeth Bourne’s government. The protesters also demanded an increase in wages.
About 170,000 people across the country participated in the protests. For comparison, a similar mobilization from October 2023 gathered on the streets of French cities more than 92,000 demonstrators, according to police data, and according to trade union data, the protesters were 200,000.
