The fight against immigration is clearly displayed as Marine Le Pen’s priority in this 2022 presidential election. The RN candidate wants to come back to three fundamental principles which are the right of the land, the right of asylum and family reunification. Explanations…
His campaign will have very clearly leaned in favor of purchasing power, it is true. But at the time of the debate between the two rounds of the presidential election, Marine Le Pen could have to explain her measures aimed at combating immigration and in particular certain provisions putting an end to the main possibilities of legal immigration to the country and even the acquisition of French nationality.
Among the measures in Marine Le Pen’s program that would change the rules on immigration and nationality the most radically, three stand out in particular: the end of jus soli, the change in the conditions for applying the right of asylum, a particularly sensitive subject at a time of war in Ukraine which is carrying millions of refugees throughout Europe, and finally the end of the family reunion.
What does Marine Le Pen say? : in her profession of faith, the shortest summary of her program, the RN candidate makes this oath: “To stop the migratory submersion, I will drastically restrict immigration, in particular family reunification, and will put an end to the call for air by reserving social assistance to the French”. She also says she wants to restore “border controls”, expel illegal immigrants and abolish land rights. Measures detailed a little more in the summary of its 22 main measures (read here), in the very first paragraph, entitled: “1. Stop uncontrolled immigration by giving the floor to the French by referendum”.
An anti-immigration referendum subject to debate
Marine Le Pen lists a few key proposals there, such as “putting an end to settlement immigration and family reunification”, “dealing with applications for the right of asylum only abroad”, “removing the jus soli and limiting the access to nationality at the sole naturalization on criteria of merit and assimilation”, “ensure national priority of access to social housing and employment” or even “reserve social aid for French people, and condition access to 5 years of work in France solidarity benefits”.
In his booklet “M immigration control” (download PDF here), Marine Le Pen says she wants to proceed by referendum to impose, via a modification of the Constitution, these measures, which are often contrary to international law and European treaties.
What there is to know : jus soli allows French nationality to be granted to any child born on French soil, regardless of their origin. The end of jus soli would be replaced by Marine Le Pen by the “transmission of nationality by filiation” with at least one parent of French nationality. Family reunification, which allows legal immigrant workers to bring their families to France, would be prohibited or limited by law. As for the right to asylum, it would also be drastically cut back since the RN wants to see asylum applications filed “outside the national territory”, making any real possibility of benefiting from it very limited.
The referendum and the change of the Constitution, supposed to pass these measures in the midst of other equally drastic ones, remain legally questionable according to several observers, as recently summarized The worldthe principle of the superiority of French laws over international laws, and in particular European ones, can only pass through a renegotiation of treaties, or through an exit from the European Union.