The Constitutional Council of France struck down much of a new and tough immigration law on Thursday (25), issuing a widely anticipated decision that many provisions added by President Emmanuel Macron’s government under pressure from the right were illegal.
The nine-member council, which reviews potential legislation to ensure it complies with the Constitution, stated in a release that it partially or completely struck down more than a third of the 86 articles of the proposal, which was approved in December.
The revision of immigration rules in France was one of Macron’s priorities for his second term. The French leader called the new law a “shield” to deal with the pressure from immigrants entering the country illegally.
What’s in the French law?
The new bill includes changes regarding residency and citizenship and implements a series of measures aimed at adopting a tougher stance on immigration, including provisions that would make it more difficult for residents of France to bring foreign family members and access social benefits.
According to the proposal, children born in France to foreign parents would no longer automatically become French citizens and would have to apply for citizenship between the ages of 16 and 18.
Next Steps
The French government may accept the council’s decision and enact the modified law or it may take the bill back to parliament and rewrite the provisions that the council considers constitutionally defective.
Across France, thousands of people took to the streets in protest against the new law. Human rights associations, leftist parties, and unions viewed the Council’s decision as a victory and called for the government to completely revoke the law – an unlikely outcome, as Macron is now expected to do everything possible to enact it under pressure from the right in the country.
Unlike the Supreme Court of the United States, the Constitutional Council of France is not at the top of the judicial system, and none of its members are judges. Instead, they are a mix of legal scholars, former politicians, and senior public officials. Therefore, the Council does not have the power to prevent a law from coming into effect.
Example for the U.S.?
Some say that if Donald Trump returns to the White House, Americans should expect a debate on immigration in terms similar to the French.
Source: The New York Times