FRANCE -
IMMIGRATION
PM Bayrou
gathers ministers for immigration talks amid Franco-Algerian tensions
Prime
Minister François Bayrou is bringing together key ministers this Wednesday to
tackle one of France’s most pressing issues – managing migration flows more
effectively.This comes as the French government remains divided on the best
approach to immigration and growing tensions with Algeria.
Issued on:
26/02/2025 - 09:24
Starting at
2:00 PM, around ten ministers will convene for an "Interministerial
Council on Immigration Control" (CICI) in a bid to strengthen national,
European, and diplomatic strategies to regulate migration more effectively.
Among those
called to the table are Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, Foreign Minister
Jean-Noël Barrot, Health and Labor Minister Catherine Vautrin, Justice Minister
Gérald Darmanin, and several others.
The meeting
– expected to last just over an hour –
will conclude with a statement from Bayrou.
A key focus
will be the implementation of the European Asylum and Migration Pact, adopted
last May and set to take effect in mid-2026. The pact aims to tighten border
screening and enhance solidarity among EU nations.
Macron
condemns 'Islamist terror’ after deadly Mulhouse knife attack
Dispute
with Algiers
The CICI –
originally established in 2005 – was recently reactivated by Retailleau in
response to increasing migration pressures.
“The French
people expect greater control over migration flows,” he emphasised when
announcing the council’s revival in January.
The timing
of Wednesday's meeting is particularly significant, coming just days after a
tragic knife attack in the eastern French city of Mulhouse, allegedly committed
by an Algerian national.
The incident
has intensified the ongoing diplomatic dispute with Algeria, which has
repeatedly refused to take back nationals expelled from France.
Bayrou did
not mince words on Monday, calling Algeria’s refusal to cooperate
“unacceptable.”
He revealed
that the suspect had been presented to the Algerian authorities for deportation
ten times – each time without success.
Facts vs
feelings: is France really being 'flooded' by foreigners?
Hardline
or dialogue?
With
pressure mounting, the government remains split on how to address the standoff
with Algeria.
Interior
Minister Retailleau has advocated for a tougher stance – including revoking
privileges for Algerian diplomats and officials.
Government
spokesperson Sophie Primas has mooted reducing visa allocations, particularly
for key figures in Franco-Algerian relations. “We don’t have to issue so many
visas,” she remarked on Monday, hinting at targeted restrictions for
influential Algerian officials.
Retailleau
has gone even further – aligning with former Prime Ministers Édouard Philippe
and Gabriel Attal – in questioning broader agreements with Algeria dating back
to 1968.
Foreign
Minister Barrot, however, remains cautious. “Simply cutting off visas to a
country doesn’t work,” he insisted on Sunday.
He pointed
out that when France reduced visa numbers in the past, the annual expulsion
rate was around 800.
But when
diplomatic cooperation improved, that number tripled.
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