New legislation proposed in France to crack down on immigration

While French president Emanuel Macron has announced plans to crackdown on delays in the immigration system, some activists see the proposals to speed up requests as a threat to the rights of asylum seekers in the country. Although increasing the speed and efficiency of the application process could be deemed to be a good thing, in this instance human rights groups are concerned that it will make it more difficult for asylum seekers to defend their rights.  

The proposed new legislation is designed to shorten the process time for for asylum requests and will mean faster expulsion from the jurisdiction of migrants who are not able to meet the criteria to enable them to stay. The consideration period for an application for asylum will also be reduced to a maximum of six months down from one year including appeals. The new legislation will also increase to 90 days the time during which a person who is without the necessary papers can be kept in a holding centre effectively doubling this period and will criminalise illegal border crossing. 

Proponents of the bill argue that the changes bring the law and process in France in line with that found in other European countries. The bill will be debated in Parliament in April.