A tough new immigration bill in France — that’s the good news. How tough is it? Well, it abolishes the right of illegal immigrants to remain in France after ten years! I guess it could be worse — a measure like this could have been rejected.
“French immigration bill approved,” from the BBC, with thanks to JE:
The upper house of the French parliament has passed a tough new immigration bill, weeks after it was adopted by the lower chamber.
The bill makes it harder for unskilled migrants to settle in France and abolishes the rights of illegal immigrants to remain after 10 years.
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who drafted the bill, says it will bring France into line with other countries.
Critics say it is racist and accuse Mr Sarkozy of pandering to the far-right.
That rhetoric must be confronted head-on.