Key Takeaways
- The French Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau resigned in protest of the new immigration law.
- The Darmanin law expands deportation powers and adds strict family‑visa requirements.
- President Emmanuel Macron rejected Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin’s resignation request.
Paris: French Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau has tendered resignation after parliament passed one of the country’s toughest immigration laws, which the minister strongly opposed, French media reported on Wednesday.
The new migration bill was finally approved by the Senate and the National Assembly late Tuesday after lengthy debates.
The government refused to confirm whether the minister’s resignation had been accepted, Le Figaro newspaper reported.
Last week, the government’s draft law was rejected by lawmakers for the first time in 25 years. The majority of deputies voted in favor of a petition to reject the text of the document. Afterwards, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin intended to resign, but President Emmanuel Macron did not accept his resignation.
The new French law on asylum and migration, known as the “Darmanin law,” includes many measures to increase control over the deportation of undocumented migrants.
It also provides for the deportation of foreigners who have committed crimes. According to Darmanin, it is the toughest immigration bill ever introduced by the French government. He said undocumented migrants who must leave France would be put on a wanted list to ensure they actually left the country.
The bill allows for the legalization of those migrants who can find work in a sector where there is a shortage of French workers. Darmanin also wants to tighten the rules for staying in France on a family visa and introduce a mandatory French exam for family members of those who come to the country for family reunification.
