French society mostly satisfied with new immigration law despite criticism it is 'worst ever seen'

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – Majority of French people are satisfied with the new immigration law, a recent survey has revealed.

The poll, conducted by the Elabe polling organization for broadcaster BFMTV, disclosed on Wednesday that 70% of French people were satisfied with the new law – 18% of them were very satisfied and 52% were mostly satisfied.

Some 65% responders who voted for far-right leaders Marine Le Pen and 86% of those backing Eric Zemmour think that the law did not do enough, while President Emmanuel Macron voters (62%) see a "balanced" law. Left-wing politician Jean-Luc Melenchon voters (52%) think the law is very rigid.

The law is efficient in expelling foreigners who pose a threat for 69% of the interviewees, fighting against illegal immigration for 63%, and better integrating foreigners for 54%, according to the poll.

The legislation also allows France to "retake control of its migration policy" and to "protect the French" for 68% and 67% of those polled.

The inspiration and support from the far-right party National Rally (RN) provoked a new political debate in France after the bill was passed into law.

Left-wing lawmakers criticized the government for relying on the RN, while Macron and lawmakers in favor of the law denied those claims.

Some 73% of responders, however, think that the law was inspired by RN's ideas.

The poll also confirmed that French people observe a fracture in the political majority, since one out of four lawmakers from Macron's camp either rejected the law or abstained during the parliamentary voting.

Some 60% of Macron voters joining the survey see it as a temporary crisis, according to Elabe.

- Resistance to law

A total of 32 department authorities in France announced on Wednesday that they will not apply some of the articles, including the hardened conditions of the personal independence allowance.

This aid for elderly people over 60 who lost their autonomy now requires at least five years of residency in France for non-working foreigners, and 30 months of activity for those working.

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told broadcasters CNews and Europe 1 on Thursday that the law applies all, "particularly when French people elected them."

Secretary general of the General Labor Confederation (CGT), Sophie Binet, told broadcaster RMC that the union was working on broad actions against the law and called for "civil disobedience."

She announced that mass protests would be organized.

- Immigration law

Left-wing lawmaker Mathilde Panot told broadcaster Franceinfo on Wednesday that the government "used National Rally's votes and National Rally's ideas to adopt the worst law ever seen" in France's migration history.

Hard-left politician Jean-Luc Melenchon said that some of the articles in the law were taken from the RN and Marine Le Pen's presidential program.

Far-right leader and Macron's rival, Marine Le Pen, hailed the bill, calling it "a great ideological victory for our movement."

On Tuesday, Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau quit and several ministers threatened to resign if the bill was adopted, while government spokesperson Olivier Veran denied any "ministerial revolt" over the law on Wednesday.

The Constitutional Council will now verify the text's validity, and the law will take effect once it is published in the Official Gazette.

The first version of the bill was de facto rejected by lawmakers when the Green groups' motion to dismiss was adopted even before the first parliamentary debate on Dec. 11.

But the government formed a joint committee of seven senators and seven MPs who found a consensus between the majority and the opposition, with a reviewed version of the text.

After the Senate's passage of the revised text, lawmakers mostly voted in favor of the new version which was hardened even more.

Article 3 in the initial version aimed to give a one-year residency permit under certain conditions to irregular foreign workers who operate in "sectors under tension" -- sectors that suffer labor shortages. But the new version gives city prefects the power to accept or reject a foreigner's request to regularize.

The crime of irregular residency was reinstated after its cancellation in 2012. Those who commit it will be fined €3,750 ($4,100) and prohibited from entering France for three years.

The law requires five years of legal residency, instead of six months, to be eligible for social aid.

It also removes the automatic right of the soil for children born to foreign parents in France.