France‘s justice minister has proposed banning legal migration for two to three years.
Gerald Darmanin made the proposal as the number of immigrants in France has reached a new high, and a new opinion poll has revealed that 80% of voters believe France should toughen immigration policies.
The conservative minister, who is preparing to run for president in 2027, told news channel LCI that immigration would be halted for employment and family reunification.
‘There would be some exceptions, for instance, for doctors, researchers and some students,’ he added.
More than 8% of France’s adult population is made up of legal immigrants, with the number at about 4.5 million, according to figures by the interior ministry released this week.
Last year, France granted legal status to 384,230 new immigrants.
Darmanin served as interior minister from 2020 to 2024, during which he tightened immigration policies.
His immigration bill, which placed restrictions on migrants’ access to benefits, family reunification and the eligibility of children born in France for citizenship, was passed by parliament in 2024.
Darmanin (pictured) served as interior minister from 2020 to 2024
People wait outside an immigration office in France
These measures were scrapped, however, and conservatives criticised President Macron for watering down the bill after he referred it to the Constitutional Council, which rules on whether new laws comply with France’s constitution.
According to the new opinion poll, conducted for right-wing news outlet CNews, 67% of French voters back Darmanin’s proposal.
The justice minister has said that after the two to three year halt, France should introduce a ‘quota system’ alongside a referendum ‘to ask the French people directly, how many [immigrants] you want’.
Darmanin’s plan comes as the EU will set its first target to bring down illegal immigration.
European home affairs and migration commissioner, Magnus Brunner, who is leading the overhaul told The Times the new migration strategy is ‘about bringing the numbers down and keeping them down.’
In 2015, illegal migration overwhelmed the bloc, with 1.32 million asylum seekers entering the EU.
By the end of 2023, over 8.5 million people had arrived to claim asylum. Although 50-60% were asked to leave, 80% of those refused did not do so.
This has led to growing anger from EU citizens on their governments’ failure to secure borders and deport illegal migrants, including criminals.
Many began to support the hard right due to stricter views on migration, and Brunner said he understands the electoral revolt.
He said: ‘I don’t think it’s about left or right or extreme parties. It’s about getting it done, getting things right and listening to the voters, listening to the people in Europe. What they want and what they don’t want.
European people do not want a system that is ‘abused by people,’ he added.
Magnus Brunner (pictured) said the new migration strategy is ‘about bringing the numbers down and keeping them down.’
Illegal crossings were down 26% over the past year to 178,000
‘We didn’t have control over what was happening in the EU. I think that’s actually what people don’t like — and that’s what we have,’ he told The Times.
‘We have to give people back the feeling that we are in control of our borders, and of who comes and who is allowed to stay. We have to get a system. We have to have rules.’
His current approach has delivered results, with EU governments forced to face the problem head on.
Illegal crossings were down 26% over the past year to 178,000, which is less than half the number it was two years ago.
Brunner said: ‘We have mainly already given the right signals that what we do in Europe is to bring our European house in order.’
Deportations are his biggest priority. Under a new EU directive, asylum seekers who are deported will be confronted with an entry ban and automatic deportation for ten years.
These people will be sent back to their country of origin or to ‘return hubs’ outside the EU.
Migrants who have committed crimes while claiming asylum or have suspected terrorist ties can be held in detention centres.
‘Only one out of five people who are illegally in the EU are being returned to their home countries,’ Brunner said. ‘That’s what we want to change.’
