With 200 votes in favour and 136 against, the French senate has approved a proposal to toughen access to state healthcare for irregular migrants.
The measure was initially promoted by the conservative party in France and has sparked debate among French left parties, with some members of the government, such as the Minister of Health, Aurelien Rousseau, objecting to the measure.
The legislation proposes abolishing the State Medical Aid (AME), which allows irregular migrants to benefit from access to healthcare.
The deputy Yannick Jadot of the Green party pointed out before the Chamber that the measure is irresponsible.
Removing the AME is irresponsible. By persecuting the extreme right, the right endangers the health of all people living in France. – Yannick Jadot, Green Party
On the other hand, the French Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, who is in favour of the measure, said that it was economically unsustainable since the mechanism costs around €1.14 billion. The legislation also includes other proposals, such as the minimum level of French to obtain a residence permit, as well as to toughen family reunification and relaxation of the conditions for expulsion of irregular immigrants.
However, French politicians are not the only ones who have criticised the bill, as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had some words to say about the provisions. According to the organisation, weakening protections on the expulsion and removal of foreign nationals, especially minors, is likely against the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which France is a member.
The French authorities are trying again to put forward a deeply flawed set of immigration measures. Dividing families and watering down rights for asylum seekers is not the answer to the country’s security concerns. – Eva Cossé, Senior Europe Researcher, Human Rights Watch
In addition, the European Court for Human Rights has ruled against France’s legislation to deport children and French lawmakers should take the opportunity to end the immigration detention of all children, as Human Rights Watch said.
Moreover, the draft law would enable the authorities to order irregular migrants to leave France even if a person falls into a category that protects them on the existing law. The same legislation might even put at risk the situation of those who arrived in France before the age of 13, those who have a long-term residence in France, and those who are a spouse or parent of a French national.
