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Villepin signals flexibility on French immigration law

Posted on: Tuesday, 2 May 2006, 03:02 CDT

By Tom Heneghan

PARIS (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin signaled on Tuesday that his conservative government could soften a tough immigration bill after it came under criticism from a united front of Christian churches.

Villepin defended the bill, due to be introduced in the National Assembly later on Tuesday, as a way to close loopholes that led to abuses when immigrants brought relatives to France or entered into fake marriages to obtain visas.

He also expressed full support for his rival Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, the bill's sponsor, who says it will also help France choose more skilled immigrants rather than just take any newcomers who arrive.

Villepin said he had reassured Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard and Pastor Jean-Arnold de Clermont, leaders of the Catholic and Protestant churches in France, when they met him on Saturday to express their concerns about the bill.

"I told them it's clear we want, in the (parliamentary) discussions, to enrich the text as much as possible, while remaining faithful to its spirit, because we want (their) call for humane treatment (of immigrants) to be respected," he said.

Sarkozy's bill, widely seen as part of his campaign for the presidential election next year, has also attracted criticism from left-wing parties and pro-immigrant groups and prompted the far-right to step up its stridently anti-immigrant line.

The son of a Hungarian immigrant, he has had to defend himself against charges he is running a xenophobic drive to poach votes from far-right National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, who launched his presidential campaign on Monday.

WIN OVER LOST VOTERS

Le Pen shocked France in 2002 by finishing second to President Jacques Chirac in the first round of voting and Sarkozy has long argued that conservatives need to win back some of his voters if they want to win in 2007.

He says the bill aims to attract a new generation of skilled workers who would embrace French values and traditions, thus easing the tense race relations that led to last year's suburban riots by youths mostly of immigrant origin.

It would create a three-year "skills and talents" residence permit to attract skilled workers. It would also make it harder for resident immigrants to bring family here, force newcomers to take French and civics lessons and end their automatic right to a long-term residence permit after 10 years in France.

Left-wing critics say the law will not work, will stigmatize foreigners, discriminate against the poor and undermine France's traditional role as a haven for the persecuted.

Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox churches warned in a rare joint declaration last week that it would favor educated people and make life harder for poor immigrants.

More than 5,000 people marched through Paris on Saturday to protest against the bill.

REVITALISED FAR-RIGHT

On the far right, Le Pen told a rally on Monday that the tougher line from Sarkozy and a far-right rival showed that his anti-immigrant views were gaining ground in France. Many held up a map of France with the slogan "Love it or leave it."

Le Pen's far-right rival Philippe de Villiers began his presidential campaign this month with blistering attacks on what he calls the Islamization of France and a demand for an end to all mosque construction around the country.

Political analysts say Sarkozy is courting far-right voters after ensuring Paris climbed down this month over a labor law reform that sparked sometimes violent mass protests. His presidential prospects could suffer if disillusioned voters switch to far-right parties as a result.

The bill comes as Chirac and Villepin, both badly mauled by the crisis over the new law for young workers, are struggling to show they can still govern despite the setback.

Source: REUTERS

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