Headline
France Bans Nigerian students, others From Bringing Family, Delays Benefits
The French parliament has passed legislation toughening France’s immigration policy.
The amended bill was backed by both President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance party and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN).
The vote divided Mr Macron’s party, and Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau resigned in protest.
Leaders of a third of French regions said they would not comply with certain measures in the law.
A previous draft was rejected by parliament last week when the National Rally as well as the left voted against. In response, the government redrafted the bill, making some of its provisions tougher.
The new legislation makes it more difficult for migrants to bring family members to France and delays their access to welfare benefits.
It also bans detaining minors in detention centres.
A controversial provision discriminates between citizens and migrants, even those living in the country legally, in determining eligibility for benefits.
The tougher version appealed to right-wing parties, who backed it on Monday.
Ms Le Pen welcomed the amended bill, calling it an “ideological victory” for the far-right.
“This is our bill,” said Eric Ciotti, the leader of the right-wing Republican party. He called it “firm and courageous”.
But left-wingers said Mr Macron was enabling the far-right. “History will remember those who betrayed their convictions,” Socialist party leader Olivier Faure said.
32 of France’s 101 departments, including Paris, said they would refuse to implement the provisions of the law on benefits for non-citizens.
The French vote came hours before an EU agreement to reform the asylum system across the bloc’s 27 member states.
The new pact, agreed by EU governments and European Parliament members, includes creating border detention centres and enabling the quicker deportation of rejected asylum seekers.
Hailed as a landmark agreement by Parliament President Roberta Metsola, the new system allows asylum seekers to be relocated from southern member states, which have the highest numbers of arrivals, to other countries.
It still has to be formally approved by the Parliament and member states.
The new French legislation exposed divisions within the governing alliance. 27 MPs voted against while 32 abstained – almost a quarter of pro-Macron MPs.
Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau, who was a member of the Communist party in his youth, stepped down in protest at the immigration law.
“Some measures in the bill make me very uncomfortable,” said Yaël Braun-Pivet, the president of the lower house of parliament and a member of Mr Macron’s party.
The bill would have passed if Ms Le Pen’s party had abstained, though not if it had voted against. The government pointed to the size of its majority to argue that it did not depend on National Rally votes.
Speaking after the vote, the prime minister accepted some measures in the law might not be constitutional.
“We will ask the Constitutional Council,” she told French radio, referring to a top court which upholds the constitution’s principles.
Human rights groups denounced the new reform as the most regressive immigration law for decades.
Mr Macron’s party lost its majority in parliament in elections in June 2022. Since then, the government has frequently found itself unable to win votes in parliament.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
Woman killed while crossing road in Anambra
LASG’s maize palliative impactful, says poultry association chair
Fagbemi warns against obstructing EFCC from performing its lawful duty
BDCs now buying dollar at ₦980 — ABCON President
Osun Poly Student, Olanrewaju Olatona killed by hit-and-run one-way driver
Seplat Energy celebrates a decade of Dual Listing with Bell Ringing Ceremony at Nigerian Stock Exchange
3 teens arrested in Germany for allegedly plotting terror attack
Breaking…Naira abuse: Court sentences Bobrisky to 6 months in custody
Lagos Court Grants Emefiele N50m Bail
