The French Parliament passed a government bill tightening rules for immigration, with a sufficiently large majority of 349 for and 186 against. The upper-house Senate had earlier also passed the legislation.
Although the adoption of this bill represents a victory for the parliamentary majority, it carries serious political consequences.
At the end of long and difficult negotiations that ended on Tuesday, members of the National Assembly and the Senate agreed on a joint version of the controversial bill.
The right and far right voted in favor of it, while the left voted against it.
On the other hand, the centrist parties supporting the government were divided.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin quickly welcomed the adoption of the 'strong text', and said on X, "We will at last be able to expel foreign offenders of our territory but also integrate all those who work in our restaurants, in the agriculture sector."
On the other hand, the Leader of the extreme left party, Jean-Luc Melenchon, denounced the bill, considering its approval a "disgusting victory" achieved thanks to the votes of the extreme right.
"A new political axis has been established," Melenchon said on the X platform.
For his part, Conservative lawmaker Eric Ciotti, president of The Republicans party welcomed a "historic victory for the right" and a "republican law to combat mass immigration."
Immediately after the draft law was approved, the Socialist Party announced its intention to challenge the bill before the Constitutional Council.
