France may freeze immigration for three years
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has called for a three-year moratorium on legal immigration, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to Le Monde, the proposal was made during an interview with the French weekly Journal du Dimanche.
“We have reached the limit of our integration and assimilation capacities,” the minister said.
Darmanin proposed revising residence permit rules for labor migrants and limiting the right to family reunification. He also called for amendments to the French Constitution that would allow authorities to introduce binding immigration quotas.
The justice minister additionally supported the idea of holding a referendum on immigration issues.
“This issue will have to be decided in the next presidential election,” Darmanin stated.
In the interview, Darmanin said he would decide later whether to run in the 2027 presidential election. Among the already declared candidates, he described former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe as “the strongest candidate.”
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the European Union was considering plans to allow certain non-EU professionals to stay in the bloc beyond the current 90-day limit.