The double border is one of the flagship proposals of Jordan Bardella’s program at the National Rally for the early legislative elections of June 30 and July 7, 2024.
The president of the National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella came out on top in the European elections on Sunday, June 9, 2024, with 31.37% of the vote. Following the dissolution of the National Assembly announced in the wake of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron and the holding of early legislative elections on June 30 and July 7, the party of the outgoing MEP has already announced its priorities on major issues such as Immigration.
In fourth position in Jordan Bardella’s program during his European campaign, the notion of “a double border”, French and European against “illegal migrants”, was already mentioned. A measure to fight immigration which is once again at the heart of the program of his National Rally (RN) party in the 2024 legislative elections. What is it exactly? How is this a difficult promise to implement?
What is the “double border” desired by the National Rally?
This measure, which appears in the “Immigration” section of the National Rally for Europeans program, consists of “establishing a double border, French and European: controlling national borders and setting up a border at the gates of Europe by allowing Frontex to return illegal migrants. This is a double security”, we can read in the booklet. This far-right measure had already been mentioned previously by François-Xavier Bellamy (LR) in his European campaign in 2019. Its objective was to toughen European policy against “mass immigration”.
During a debate on France 2 between Jordan Bardella and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on May 23, the president of the National Rally (RN) detailed this flagship measure of his program to reduce illegal immigration. The first border would be established at European level by the Frontex agency with “the pushback of migrant boats and the return of people to their country of departure”. The second, at the national level, would restrict free movement within the Schengen area to nationals of European member countries only. And added: “When you arrive in Italy and obtain a residence permit, it should not give you the right to travel in all EU countries.” For the proposal to succeed, Jordan Bardella’s program envisages a referendum to reaffirm the primacy of the French Constitution over the decisions of European judges on immigration matters and the modification of the Schengen code.
How does the RN’s double-border measure is a difficult proposition to apply?
If the first border at European level is possible in the event of the adoption of a common policy in this direction, the second is “madness” according to Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, because it would be necessary to “control everyone”, including workers borders, to be able to apply it. To overcome this problem, Jordan Bardella would rely on the “police officer’s flair” to carry out random checks in addition to stationary ones, and mentioned a “sticker on the windshield” of the cross-border worker.
Furthermore, according to Patrick Stefanini, former secretary general of the Ministry of Immigration under Nicolas Sarkozy, Jordan Bardella’s flagship proposal to fight illegal immigration would be “not very operational”, emphasizing that the “systematic expulsion” of foreigners in illegal situation would cost around 3.3 billion euros.