The French parliament has passed legislation that prohibits foreign students from relocating to the country with their families.
Daily Trust reports that the new measure has won the backing of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance party and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally.
The revised immigration policy tightens controls on family reunions, restricts migrants’ access to welfare benefits, and prohibits the incarceration of minors in detention centers.
Notably, a contentious component of the law distinguishes between citizens and migrants, including those legally residing in France, in terms of eligibility for benefits.
The amended, tougher version of the bill was supported by the right-wing parties, leading to its recent approval.
Ms Le Pen hailed the altered measure as a “ideological victory” for the far-right.
“This is our bill,” declared the leader of the right-wing Republican Party, Eric Ciotti. He described it as “firm and courageous.”
However, the leaders from one-third of France’s regions have stated their refusal to implement key legislative measures.
Left-wingers claimed that Macron was aiding the far-right. “History will remember those who betrayed their convictions,” warned Socialist Party leader, Olivier Faure.
