The French parliament has passed legislation prohibiting Nigerian students and others from bringing their families to France.
After a revised version was approved, this measure won backing from President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance party and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally.
The revised immigration policy tightens controls on family reunion, restricts migrants’ access to welfare benefits, and prohibits the incarceration of minors in detention centers.
However, leaders from one-third of France’s regions have stated their refusal to implement key legislative measures.
Notably, a contentious component of the law distinguishes between citizens and migrants, including those legally residing in France, in terms of eligibility for benefits.
The amended, tougher version of the bill was supported by the right-wing parties, leading to its recent approval.
Ms Le Pen hailed the altered measure as a “ideological victory” for the far-right.
“This is our bill,” declared the leader of the right-wing Republican Party, Eric Ciotti. He described it as “firm and courageous.”
However, left-wingers claimed that Macron was aiding the far-right. “History will remember those who betrayed their convictions,” warned Socialist Party leader, Olivier Faure.