Immigration: Pradié proposes a referendum of shared initiative, LR officials skeptical

Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credits: Magali Cohen / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 16:33 pm, May 07, 2023

The proposal of LR deputies Aurélien Pradié and Pierre-Henri Dumont to launch a referendum of shared initiative on immigration was denounced Sunday by several voices within the Republicans, who consider it not in accordance with the Constitution. In an article published in the JDD, Aurélien Pradié and Pierre-Henri Dumont consider that the postponement to the autumn of the immigration bill "constitutes a major political resignation".

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"Quota policy not up to the migration challenge"

They believe that "the quota policy is not up to the migratory challenge" and that it is now necessary to "move from underqualified family immigration to overqualified chosen labour immigration". For this they hope to table "in the coming weeks", with several of their colleagues, a referendum of shared initiative" (RIP). "I cannot be in favor of a RIP on the migration issue since it is constitutionally impossible," replied dryly the president (LR) of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, guest of the Grand Jury RTL / Le Figaro / LCI.

He recalled that the RIP was governed by Article 11 of the Constitution and reserved for the organization of public authorities or reforms relating to economic, social or environmental policy. "We must avoid launching some kind of decoys that disturb our fellow citizens," he stressed.

On France Inter and France info, the boss of the LR deputies Olivier Marleix also recalled that the Constitution limited the use of the RIP. He recalled that the right was preparing its own immigration bill and that it intended to table it "by the end of spring".

The RIP, a procedure that has so far never been successful

The Constitution makes it possible to organise a RIP on the initiative of at least 185 MPs, supported by one tenth of the electorate (4.87 million). Such a procedure has so far never been concluded. The last two demands, filed by the left on pensions, were rejected by the Constitutional Council.

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Aurélien Pradié and Pierre-Henri Dumont want to focus their proposal on "improving the rates of return of illegal immigrants". They also ask to condition "five years of legal presence on the territory access to non-contributory benefits" and propose the reinstatement of the double penalty which allows to expel from French territory a foreigner convicted criminally once his sentence has been served.

At the end of April, Elisabeth Borne, who does not have a majority in the Assembly, had reached out to the Republicans on immigration, calling for a "compromise". She then ruled out the hypothesis of a referendum demanded by the right.