Gérald Darmanin gives his method for producing a text on immigration in the fall. “Everyone must take a step” in view of a compromise between the presidential majority and the Republicans, urges the Minister of the Interior in an interview with the Parisian uploaded Saturday, in which it draws some red lines.
“Chiche, let’s work together!” “Launches the minister, in an allusion to the” Chick, Mr. President “Launched in the JDD by Eric Ciotti, Bruno Retailleau and Olivier Marleix. In this cross interview a week ago the N.1 of the LRs, the boss of the Republican senators and the leader of the LR deputies had presented very firm legislative proposals on immigration. One provides for example to include in the Constitution the possibility of derogating from the treaties and from European law on immigration.
“No deal at any price”
“There will be no agreement at any price. Everyone must take a step,” said Gérald Darmanin, recalling that there are “sixty LR deputies in the Assembly. Alone, they are not able to have their proposals adopted, and the government for its part does not have an absolute majority to have its own text voted on”. “We can keep our text, already adopted by the Senate law commission, by discussing together the amendments to modify it. The LR would absolutely like us to redeposit together a new text of law? We are ready for it if it is discussed with the centrists and the radicals,” he explains.
Among the LR proposals that he retains, the Minister cites “the conditioning of visas, with the modulation of development aid for the countries concerned, the implementation of consular passes, the discussion around unaccompanied minors, 360-degree control of applications for residence permits”. He also says he is ready to lead discussions on the opening of social benefits from 5 years of residence in France. On the other hand, freeing oneself from the European treaties would be “a migratory Frexit”, insists Gérald Darmanin.
Faced with Eric Ciotti’s party, which opposes it, he defends “the regularization of immigrant workers, who respect our values and have worked on our territory for several years”, stressing that “the French are in favor of it, including on the right “. And on the establishment of quotas, “we have already said that we are ready to study these proposals. But beware, on the right of asylum, for example, it is impossible to set quotas”.
As for the proposal for asylum requests to be formulated outside the territory, “this measure is inapplicable”, decides the minister, “except outside the Geneva Convention of 1951” in particular. Finally, in terms of timing, “what is important is that in October we discussed a text in the Senate, then in November or December in the National Assembly,” said Gérald Darmanin.