Immigration law: Gerald Darmanin gets to the heart of the matter

For Gerald Darmanin, this is the main course after the programming law of the Ministry of the Interior (Lopmi), which will be the subject of a solemn vote on Tuesday. From this Monday, the Home Secretary begins consultations with parliamentary groups on the long-awaited immigration bill. After the first discussions without a vote in the National Assembly on December 6 and in the Senate the following week, the bill will be finalized and sent to the Council of State before landing on the table of the Council of Ministers. second half of January.

In parallel with these political consultations, the executive will also discuss important aspects of the law on labor immigration with associations and social partners. The law would be the 29th immigration law since 1980.

Its main directions were presented at the beginning of November by the Minister of the Interior and his Labor colleague Olivier Dussopt in an interview with the newspaper “Le Monde”. “Migration pressure in Europe has increased sharply in recent years. Our rules are not designed for this situation, “Yelisey recalls.

Debates over the commitment to leave French territory (OQTF) after the killing of young Lola in Paris and the landing of migrants from the Ocean Viking ten days earlier have added to political tensions on a traditionally volatile issue. These events allowed the right-wing and far-right opposition to harden their tone and criticize a government that lacks a strong line – it refused to welcome Aquarius in 2018 – and was considered too soft, above all, on migration issues. The executive power defended the acceptance of these migrants for humanitarian reasons, thereby making promises to the leftists. But he never forgets to send a signal to the right. Late last week, Gerald Darmanin asked prefects to tighten up enforcement of the rules, even though he is regularly criticized for not enforcing them.

Marine Le Pen already says “no”.

As with the Lopmi law, the bill will first be examined by senators after it is passed by the Council of Ministers. His arrival in Pale-Bourbon is scheduled for early spring. Gerald Darmanin hopes for a more constructive relationship than the senatorial right and increases signs of openness in this direction.

“A large part of the provisions we proposed was included in the parliamentary report of the president of the legal commission Les Republicains François-Noël Buffett. Extensive consultations will be held with the President of the Senate. If we need to amend the project, we will. We are very open,” he told Le Monde in early November. The interior minister also hopes for a centrist group in the Senate, without which Les Republicains does not have a majority. “We want to leave a lot of room for negotiation so that everyone can find their own account,” reminds Place Beauvau.

For Marine Le Pen, the crowd has already been called: 89 MPs led by her in the Palais-Bourbon will vote against the text. “We have no chance to pass this law. By creating a residence permit for stressed occupations, the government is creating an additional labor immigration channel,” he denounced in “JDD” on November 13. The same negative vote is expected on the left, but for opposite reasons.

No second LR gift to Darmanin

For the Minister of Internal Affairs, everything is played with LR parliamentarians. A vote reserve that the executive cannot do without, but which promises to be more complicated to obtain than unemployment insurance or Lopmi. For some, it is unthinkable that even LR can voice the text. “After voting for Lopmi, they will not give Darmanin a second gift on immigration,” notes a centrist parliamentarian.

The entourage of Olivier Marleix, who will personally negotiate on behalf of LR, claims that “LR are the only groups interested in discussing this bill with the elected representatives of LIOT”. In right-hand benches, caution is the mother of safety. The executive director of the LR group in the Assembly notes that “Either Gerald Darmanin keeps his line on the Regalian, or the Minister of the Interior is on the left wing of the Macronian.” This is why the discussions that will take place this week are important.

Republican presidential elections in the background

The approaching Republican primary presidential election, set for December 3, adds to a generalized pattern of lethargy within the public debate, deepening divisions and even worrying right-wing elected officials.

Holding a parliamentary “niche” dedicated to LR, 1^er Three days before the December elections, there should be an opportunity for the party to present its proposals on migration. And it started on Monday, regardless of the outcome of the first consultations, and even before the executive presented its text. Not surprisingly, this will include, among other things, two bills to reform alien deportation procedures (double jeopardy and special jurisdiction). Like peer pressure.