French Senate on Thursday approved a controversial bill that would ban undocumented immigrants from getting married in the country......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
The move which has sparked constitutional concerns and criticism from the left was backed by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin.
The legislation was passed in the upper house after 227 votes in favour and 110 against.
It will now be moved to the National Assembly for further debate.
According to the supporters of the bill, it would help combat fraudulent marriages which enables illegal immigrants to obtain French residency or citizenship.
However, opponents warn that the bill contradicts a 2003 ruling by France’s Constitutional Council, which affirmed that a person’s immigration status alone should not prevent them from marrying.
Green Party Senator, Mélanie Vogel condemned the proposal as “a full-scale attack on the Constitution,” while Socialist politician Corinne Narassiguin accused the government of fueling “an anxiety-provoking climate of xenophobia and racism.”
The bill follows recent high-profile cases, including that of a mayor in northern France who refused to officiate the wedding of a former mosque leader, who was later deported.
In a similar case, Robert Ménard, the mayor of Béziers, was summoned by prosecutors for refusing to marry a French woman and her undocumented Algerian fiancé.
Under French law, all marriages must be conducted at city halls, and the proposed measure marks a significant tightening of immigration policies as the government shifts further to the right.