National mobilization against immigration law is taking shape in France

In statements to the France Info network, the leader of one of the two main unions in the country explained that the aim of the mobilization called for by 200 associational and union figures is to denounce that this base is strongly attacking the values ​​of the Republic.

He stressed that we will say that the law is not France's solidarity, freedom, equality, brotherhood and coexistence in daily life.

According to Benet, the initiative, which was adopted last month after an agreement between the ruling party and the conservatives, reflects a state of hate speech, stigma and confrontation.

The law must still be approved by the Constitutional Council for promulgation, which will announce its opinion on January 25, with no major changes or cancellation expected.

The text is controversial, as the far right sees it as an ideological victory, with measures such as imposing a security deposit on foreign students in order to be accepted into universities in France.

It also restricts family reunification, organizing undocumented workers, support for those who are legally resident, for example, with regard to housing, and calls for reform of government medical assistance for “undocumented” people, a benefit the right wants to abolish.

The Secretary General of the CGT denounced that if this rule were implemented, the country would not only have fewer foreigners, but would have foreigners in a more precarious situation.

In the Paris region alone, nearly a quarter of the jobs are occupied by foreigners, many of them in essential sectors, and we cannot deprive them of the right to live with their families, he warned, proposing a medium- and long-term project.

At the weekend, the general secretary of the other large union, the French Democratic Federation of Labor, Marielise Lyon, made the same call for a nationwide protest on January 21 against the immigration law.

Like his colleague, he considered the text to be contrary to republican values ​​and a setback at the level of brotherhood.

The government defends the initiative, although it accepts that some of its measures are not to its liking and may be in violation of the constitution, but the conservatives had the advantage when negotiating.

In the Senate, the traditional right (the Republican Party) used its dominance to change and tighten the project presented by the executive branch, while in the National Assembly the various opposition forces united in a rare maneuver to adopt a censure motion that prevented debate. The document is in the House of Representatives.

As a result, the government formed a mixed joint committee as the basis for the Senate text, in which the agreement was reached, which the two chambers later voted on, despite the rejection of the left.

Note/WMR