As the European elections approach (June 6 to 9), immigration is once again entering the public debate in France. The National Rally (RN) has made it its hobby horse, organizing its “General States of Immigration” in Paris on March 26. Inspired by Jacques Chirac, who had organized two days of debates on the same theme in 1990, members of the RN, led by deputy Franck Allisio (ex-UMP and owner of the RPR name), met to debate this subject.
While the ambitions displayed were high, the event instead ended with alarming findings, shocking sentences and accusations of "migratory overwhelm", according to l'Humanité. In France, where immigration is a sensitive subject, successive governments, from the right and the left, have constantly legislated to try to reduce migratory flows. But what is the reality of the situation in France compared to other European countries? France 24 takes stock.
Germany, main destination
The only data available at the level of the European Union concerns immigrants (people who come to settle in a country from abroad, whether they are of foreign nationality or not), and not only immigrants (born foreigners) . In 2022, France was the third receiving country in the EU with 431,000 arrivals of new immigrants, behind Germany (2 million) and Spain (1.3 million), according to the European Statistics Agency , Eurostat. Comparing this figure to the population, France finds itself at the bottom of the ranking with six new immigrants per 1,000 inhabitants, compared to 24 in Germany and 27 in Spain.
One of the other ways to compare the number of arrivals to EU countries is through asylum. Fleeing persecution, an asylum seeker is a foreigner seeking the protection of another country. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes this status: “In the face of persecution, everyone has the right to seek and benefit from asylum in other countries.”
In 2023, the European Union and its associated countries saw a record influx of asylum applications, reaching 1.14 million, according to the EU Asylum Agency (EUAA). Germany emerged as the main destination, with 334,000 requests, or almost a third of the total recorded. The country alone received more requests over the same period than France (167,000) and Spain (162,000) combined during the same period.
Asylum requests in the European Union in 2023 © Graphic Studio - France Médias Monde
“If Germany still concentrates the majority of asylum requests, this can be explained by several factors such as the presence of well-established diasporas and the perception of a more favorable labor market,” explains Camille Le Coz, analyst at Migration Policy Institute. "One might expect the figures to be higher for Italy, Spain, Cyprus or Greece, which are countries on the gateway to Europe through which asylum seekers enter, but many continue their route to Germany or France".
In France, as in the rest of Europe, the number of procedures to obtain asylum increased further in 2023. “The health crisis has worsened economic difficulties in certain African countries, pushing populations to migrate,” analyzes Camille Le Coz. “The lack of confidence in the economy, the persistence of conflicts, but also the increasing possibilities of passage thanks to smuggling networks encourage people to leave their country of origin.”
France at the bottom of the ranking
While it is important to know the distribution of asylum applications between EU countries, this number is not enough to assess the real pressure on national reception systems, because reception capacity and procedures Asylum varies considerably from country to country.
In theory, the Dublin Regulation requires that the asylum application be lodged in the country of entry into EU territory. Among the countries of arrival, Cyprus, with a population of 921,000, received 13 applications per 1,000 inhabitants. France, with a much larger population (68 million), received 2.1 applications per 1,000 inhabitants, representing one of the EU countries where this figure is lowest.
Asylum applications filed per 1,000 inhabitants in 2023 © Graphic Studio - France Médias Monde
However, acceptance of an asylum request is not guaranteed in the country where it is made. With only a quarter of applications accepted in 2023, France is at the bottom of the pack, behind Germany (34%), Austria and Greece (39%).
Proportion of asylum requests accepted in 2023 © Graphic Studio - France Médias Monde
The processing time for an asylum application in France has increased from 5.2 months in 2022 to 4.2 months in 2023. In the event of rejection of the asylum application, an appeal is possible before the National Court of right of asylum. “Waiting for a response after having appealed can last for months, depriving applicants of access to accommodation and assistance,” recalls Camille Le Coz. “The increase in asylum requests worries European governments. This is why the European Commission is working to conclude agreements with countries of origin to limit arrivals.”
Contradictory migration policies
In January, the European border surveillance agency Frontex announced a 17% increase in irregular entries into the European Union in 2023, compared to the previous year, reigniting the debate on how to manage irregular immigration .
In France, the Constitutional Council ended up revoking the immigration law which, in its version adopted by Parliament on December 19, 2023, provided for migration quotas, the tightening of family reunification, a waiting period for the opening of social benefits not contributions to foreigners. Denounced by its opponents as restrictive and racist, this text is in reality part of a European trend marked by repressive migration policies, not without contradictions.
In Italy, the far-right government of Giorgia Meloni has implemented a series of measures to restrict the reception of migrants. Among these, an agreement signed at the beginning of November with Albania aims to expel to this country more than 30,000 people rescued at sea by Italian ships. This agreement has raised criticism from observers and associations.
“There is a desire for control and a logic of avoiding international obligations,” analyzes Tania Racho, doctor in European law and specialist in asylum issues. “This agreement aims to prevent people in an irregular situation from seeking asylum, which implies reception and support obligations. This approach stigmatizes an already vulnerable population.”
Read alsoBetween Italy and Albania, a migration agreement in the dock
Elected on a radically anti-immigration program, the President of the Italian Council had to be more flexible in the face of the labor needs of her country, where one in two offers is unfilled. In fact, the Meloni government has promised 450,000 residence permits for foreign workers over the next three years. “Italy is developing economic immigration while fully validating the approach of closing external border flows,” continues the expert. “The speech is not consistent with what is done in practice.”
For its part, Greece is striving to simplify administrative procedures for asylum seekers. However, regularization remains a long and complex process. At the same time, the pushbacks of exiles, an illegal practice contrary to the right to asylum, are increasing. In total, more than 2,000 boat pushbacks by the Greek coast guard have been recorded in the Aegean Sea in three years, reports the independent media Solomon.
Dissuasive measures
The first receiving country, Germany, has made a radical change in its migration policy to deter asylum seekers. Under pressure from the far right, the government of Olaf Scholz abandoned the reception measures of the Merkel era, which had largely opened its doors to Syrian refugees during the migration crisis of 2015-2016. The chancellor has put in place a series of restrictive measures: strengthening border controls with Poland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, but also reducing aid for asylum seekers and requiring them to have a payment card to obtain social assistance.
See alsoMigration policy in Germany: the country tightens its measures to welcome migrants
The only exception where the policy does not seem to be tightening is that the Spanish government has urgently set up new reception capacities, to respond to the continued influx of migrants on the coasts of the Canary Islands, particularly from Senegal. The number of arrivals to the Canaries in 2023 tripled compared to the previous year, reaching a record 39,910, putting a strain on the archipelago's reception capacities.
“The political uncertainty in Senegal, after the election of a new president, makes the situation even more complex,” analyzes Tania Racho. "It is difficult to know whether the new government will be ready to cooperate with the European Union on the issue of border management and whether this will result in a reduction in the number of applicants for immigration. Indeed, the confidence of populations towards the authorities is an important factor in the decision to leave their country."
See also Migration crisis: many Senegalese are trying to reach the Canary Islands
After years of difficult discussions, EU states reached an agreement last December on reforming the European migration system. It provides in particular for reinforced control of migrant arrivals in the EU, closed centers near the borders to return more quickly those who are not entitled to asylum, and a compulsory solidarity mechanism between member countries for the benefit of " States under migratory pressure.
“With this pact, southern European countries, such as Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Greece and Malta, will come under strong pressure due to their geographical position at the gateway to Europe,” explains Camille The Coz. “They will be on the front line to process the asylum requests that the EU will ask them to make as quickly as possible. Germany and France, for their part, are behind and will aim to limit movements secondary." Discussions on immigration are likely to become increasingly heated as the European elections approach.
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