Eric Coquerel, French MP and member of the France Unbowed (La France Insoumise) political party, told Sputnik France that the new law on asylum and immigration policies essentially "sets impossible goals," and that he supports the people who protest against this ordinance.
"You can enact whatever measures you want, but when people leave their country, risk their lives while crossing the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps, it means that they have a good reason to do so," he said.
"This is inhumane – they introduce stricter detention measures for foreigners, decrease the time allotted for reviewing the cases of asylum seekers, introduce criminal sanction for border crossing or the lack of ID papers. Also, these measures create pure chaos because if ID checks will be conducted, even at refugee centers, the migrants will be prompted to stay in the streets and under the bridges, where only NGOs care for their wellbeing, while the government sits idle," Coquerel added.
Olivier Chemin, president of the European Legal Network on Asylum (ELENA), also blasted the new law, describing it as a “step back in terms of asylum seekers’ rights.”
"The law states that asylum seekers’ rights will be expanded, that they will be given work permits six months after they enter France. But it’s laughable, as according to the law their asylum request must be reviewed in six months or less, so if they get rejected after five months they won’t get the right to work," Chemin remarked.
He also pointed out that the new law requires asylum seekers to submit a request for asylum no later than 90 days after they enter France, despite the fact that in Paris, for example, some migrants have to wait for three months or more to submit their papers for this procedure.
READ MORE: Refugees in Calais Face Inhumane Conditions, Aid Efforts Restricted — French NGO
French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb presented a new law on asylum and immigration policies on Wednesday which toughens the French stance on migrants and aims to speed up the examination of asylum claims, making it easier for the government to return migrants who fail to get asylum back to their countries.
The new law has already sparked a wave of protests in Paris, with protesters denouncing its apparent injustice and demanding "a roof and papers for all" and "freedom for the exiles."
In 2017, over 100,000 migrants and refugees applied for asylum in France, the highest number in 40 years. In January, Collomb said that around 26,000 illegal migrants were sent back in 2017, noting that forced returns increased by 14 percent compared to previous years.
