The debate on immigration in France is not abating, despite the figures

Photo: Alain Jocard Agence France-Presse Stating that the country must be made “less attractive”, the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, plans to toughen the conditions for family reunification and reduce the social rights of migrants.

Estelle Emonet – Agence France-Presse in Paris

Published yesterday at 2:01 p.m.

• Europe

France has never had so many people born foreign and living on its soil nor debated the question of immigration so much, even though it welcomes fewer migrants than its European neighbors, notably the United Kingdom, where health coverage for undocumented immigrants is less advantageous.

“Enough is enough”, “my wish is that France is not more attractive in terms of immigration than the rest of the countries of Europe”, declared this week the new French Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, while a new bill on immigration is announced by the government for the beginning of 2025.

Stating that the country must be made “less attractive”, he plans to toughen the conditions for family reunification and to reduce the social rights of migrants, for example by extending the period of residence necessary for foreigners to benefit from family benefits.

Anthony Edo, an economist at the Centre d’études prospectives et d’informations internationales (CEPII), notes, however, that while “France has never had so many immigrants in absolute and relative terms (7.3 million people were born foreigners and lived in France in 2023, according to INSEE) […], it remains behind the European average. It is far from being the most attractive country in Europe.”

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In 2022, 5.1 million migrants entered Europe from a country outside the European Union (EU), according to Eurostat data in March 2024. The country that welcomed the most was Germany (1.6 million). Spain welcomed 925,000, Italy 287,000, France 238,000. Together, they represent 60% of migrant arrivals from a country outside the EU.

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Compared to the size of the country, non-Europeans will make up 5.6% of the French population in 2022, according to Eurostat, while they make up 8.1% of the Spanish population, 7.6% of the German population and 6.2% of the Italian population.

Regarding asylum applications, the highest number of requests for protection was recorded in Germany (334,000, +45% over one year) in 2023. The country represents 30% of applications, far ahead of France (167,000, +7%), Spain (162,000, +38%) and Italy (136,000, +63%), according to a report by the European Union.

Free care

Revived by the rise of the far right in the European and legislative elections in June, the debate is crystallizing in France on access to care.

State Medical Aid (AME), which allows people in a situation irregular access to certain free treatments, encourages “clandestine activity”, Mr. Retailleau repeats.

However, only 51% of eligible people benefit from this system, according to a study by the Institute for Research and Documentation in Health Economics (IRDES) in 2019.

The use of AME increases with the time spent in the country, which “suggests that most migrants have little knowledge” of the system. Even after five years or more of residence in France, “35% of people without a residence permit have not used AME,” notes IRDES.

Furthermore, migration for health reasons is only mentioned by 9.5% of people eligible for AME, far behind economic (49%) and political (23%) reasons.

In Germany, asylum seekers benefit from the ordinary right to social assistance after three years in the country. Before that, they only have access to emergency care including “treatment of acute illnesses and pain.” Pregnancy and post-pregnancy support are also part of the care covered.

People in an irregular situation can benefit from emergency care for an unlimited period.

In the United Kingdom, with the exception of asylum seekers, foreigners pay a tax of several hundred pounds when they apply for a visa. Those who are in an irregular situation benefit from free “primary care” but must pay for the rest of the care.

Health coverage is therefore less advantageous than in France, and yet annual net migration across the Channel has more than doubled in 14 years, reaching 685,000 in 2023.