France: Record Number Of Illegal Immigrants Expelled

PARIS -- President Nicolas Sarkozy's government has made a play for the anti-immigrant voters who may determine whether he wins a second term, saying Tuesday that France had booted out more illegal migrants in the past year than ever before.

Sarkozy's interior minister added that he wants thousands more expelled this year, along with fewer foreigners legally living in France. Anyone who wants to stay, he added, must shed the traditions that contradict French values.

The conservative president is unpopular and facing a tough challenge from the left and the resurgent far right in presidential elections to be held in April and May in an increasingly diverse France. Sarkozy hasn't formally declared his candidacy but is widely expected to run.

Interior Minister Claude Gueant lauded the government's record, saying French authorities expelled 32,912 illegal immigrants in 2011, up 17.5 percent from 2010.

"This result is 5,000 higher than the initial objective decided upon at the start of the year. It is the highest result ever achieved," he said. The government wants the figure to rise to 35,000 this year, he added.

Echoing one of Sarkozy's favored themes, Gueant said immigrants must better integrate.

"We reject ... cloistered lives lived along ethnic and religious grounds, those that live by their own laws," Gueant told reporters. "The foreigners that we welcome here must integrate themselves. It is up to them to adapt to us, not the other way around."

The comment was in part a reference to France's ban on Islamic face veils, a 2010 law that supporters said defended women's freedoms, but critics said stigmatized millions of moderate Muslims.

France has western Europe's largest Muslim population, many with family ties to former French colonies in North Africa.

The majority of immigrants come to France legally, though the number of new arrivals is shrinking and Gueant wants to reduce it further. The number of residency permits issued last year shrank 3.6 percent to 182,595, he said.

"We want to fight against illegal immigration and control the flow of normal immigration to France. What is at stake is the cohesion and the equilibrium of our society and our ability to maintain our tradition of welcoming them," Gueant said.

Sarkozy has championed strict policies on crime and illegal immigration – ground where he is politically threatened by far right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.

Le Pen has a strong voter base, and her National Front party has targeted immigrants and Muslims for its ire.

Anti-racism group SOS Racisme called the figures released Tuesday "numbers of shame."

"The serious problems confronting our country will not be resolved by applying a policy of quantified expulsions, which attack human rights. Behind each expulsion, there is a life that is ending," it said in a statement.

It urged the government to allow residency for migrant workers, allow foreign students to work in France and simplify application procedures to encourage migrants to seek legal residency.

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Jeffrey Schaeffer in Paris contributed to this report.

Comments

[ElCojonuo]

07:56 PM on 01/11/2012

I think it's too late for France, it's full of Algerians ( has been since the mid 20th. Century ).
Nobody wants to stay at home in the 3rd. World anymore.

[Tree S-B]

04:30 PM on 01/11/2012

The countries of the world are closing their gates and feeding on themselves.

[Yam716]

03:05 PM on 01/11/2012

RE: The foreigners that we welcome here must integrate themselves. It is up to them to adapt to us, not the other way around."

I know that's right, France!

[dzkar]

11:30 AM on 01/11/2012

Obama, and Bush could have too, should take a page from this guys book

[Satirist1]

12:22 PM on 01/11/2012

Politely escorting uninvited guest to their homelands should be a page in every politician's book.

[Kenz300]

11:24 AM on 01/11/2012

Too many people and too few jobs......

It is not anti immigrant ... it is simple math.

The worlds population has grown by a billion people in the last 12 years and continues to grow every day. We could not solve the worlds problems of poverty, hunger and despair when the world had 5 billion people and adequate resources. We will not be able to solve the problems in a world of 9 billion people and limited resources. The worlds ever growing population is not sustainable. It will only lead to more poverty, suffering and despair.

Every country needs to develop a sustainable future that balances jobs, food, water, energy and people.

[jamesjv]

01:22 PM on 01/11/2012

That is true, but countries of the world also have to work on birth control. Unfortunately, the poor are the ones with 5, 6 ,7 or more children. If a person cannot afford to support themselves, why do they have so many children? In many countries, families with 10,12 or more children are common.

This is not about religion or race, its simple math as Kenz300 stated. There are a limited amount of resources on the planet, and too many people are using them.

[greyhound2]

11:10 AM on 01/11/2012

Overpopulation and poverty are the main drivers of most of the world's problems. In 1970, the world's population stood at about 4 billion. This year, that number reached 7 billion, which is almost double. Some have estimated the total carrying capacity of the planet at about 9 billion, which will be reached by 2050 at current rates.

The explosion is occuring in areas of the planet which can afford it least. Central and South America, Africa, the middle East and Asia. Most of these countries cannot even feed the people who lived there in 1970, and certainly are not able to do so in 2012. Mass migrations of poor, hungrey hordes will move on North America and Europe causing all kinds of social problems as they bring their poverty with them. North America is better off then Europe, as it has two oceans on either side and only needs to wall off its southern border. Europe is in a worse position, as third world populations can just drive there in a car.

[MarcEdward]

09:42 AM on 01/11/2012

It's depressing to see a great nation like France sink into right wing jingoism. When they are done with Muslims, who will they pick on next? Blacks? Jews? Who won't be "French" (white) enough to stay?

[Yank in France]

10:55 AM on 01/11/2012

Marc, please don't believe everything you read about France.

My job is to translate ideas more than words, but the ideas and words don’t necessarily have the same meaning in the case of French and English. Some words, like liberal or individualism, means precisely the opposite of what you might think!

In politics, the two cultures are also very, very different.

France is being depicted in the British and American press as hard on immigrants and racist, but it has accepted more immigrants, especially from North Africa or other emerging countries, than ANY country in Europe -- by far and away!!

True, they are now requiring immigrants to comply with certain basic norms of French society. Just basic things, like not forcing your daughter undergo de-clitorization, no polygamy, no honor killings and respect for the opinions of others. That means they can't force the customs of their home countries on others.

But people can and do carry on as they please. Women wear any clothes they want, aside from the naqib, and men dress in traditional African, Arabic or Asian garments as a stroll through any street of the 18th, 19th and 20th districts of Paris will amply attest.

Despite the mass media created spectre of a racist, anti-Muslim wave in France, immigrants are in no way leaving in fear. Many happily squat apartments or entire buildings to obtain lodgings and nearly 5,000 squatters occupied a huge government office complex behind my old apartment, not to obtain housing but to secure working papers.

The response of the French govt? They provided free electricity and water for over a year until they came to terms with the squatters… with zero violence.

What do you think the American or Mexican governments would do if illegal immigrants took over about 100,000 sq feet of choice govt office space?

France is seeking a rational solution to the very real problem of integrating certain people from very different cultures. But as France experiments with solutions, the US media scream bloody murder, either because they have no clue about the situation or because the still hate France for its strong foreign policy differences with the US (and especially Israel).

But when all is said and done, the French only want immigrants to respect certain basic criteria of human behavior. They don’t want to force their culture on anyone, but they do want to make sure that those who do elect to live in France can get along with everyone else!

[Satirist1]

12:23 PM on 01/11/2012

Uninvited guests repatriated to their homeland. Free of charge.
What could be more humane?

[Nighthawlk]

09:26 AM on 01/11/2012

Not too long ago France was claiming that the US was not accepting enough immigrants. What happened? Their criticism about not accepting enough Arab immigrants bit them on their butt.

The illegal angle was sugar coated and the fear of another Islamic uprising has France in a catch 22 for allowing areas where Sharia law is practiced.

Over the years of ignoring the teachings in the Koran believing freedom would draw them away from enslavement by Islamic teachings was a stupid mistake on their part. Now it is too late for correction without violence.

Before too long Islamic fundamentalists will make a play for and independent Muslim state which will lead to guerilla and urban warfare.

[jamesjv]

03:18 AM on 01/11/2012

What is wrong with a country kicking out ILLEGAL immigrants?

The US should take note of this, and start deporting the 10 million (yea right, more like 20 million +) illegals we have in this country. Especially those with criminal records or on welfare.

Why should any country have to take the financial responsibility for the poor of another nation?

Good job Sarkozy! Obama, are you listening?

[Satirist1]

12:05 AM on 01/11/2012

Unfortunately, Open Border Truthers are equally irascible and irrational in all Western countries. Only the languages vary.

[Satirist1]

12:02 AM on 01/11/2012

"Interior Minister Claude Gueant lauded the government's record, saying French authorities expelled 32,912 illegal immigrants in 2011,"

That's ' about 460,000 less than Obama's administration record. But considering relative populations kudos go to Sarkosy administration.
Still it's only a drop in a bucket.

[Bootinureye]

08:12 PM on 01/10/2012

Wow...France actually doing something right...shocking.

[GloriaHeisenberg]

06:48 PM on 01/10/2012

If France would stop ravaging and exploiting its former colonies, I'm certain that it wouldn't have so many immigrants. It has supported decades and decades of authortarian and totalitarian dictators in all its colonies and in turn have had immigrants seeking refuge from what they've sowed.

[loutrerouge]

07:27 PM on 01/10/2012

So now its is France's fault, for example, that Algeria descended into a civil war in the 1990's?

How do people like you explain Iran or Cuba or North Korea, which clearly expose the limits of Western power?

Your accusations rest upon a patronising form of racism where you refuse to acknowledge the responsibility of non-Western nations for their own internal destiny.

[Yank in France]

11:02 AM on 01/11/2012

Hi Gloria,

I don't think the excuse of past colonialism washes anymore. The country has a huge number of immigrants and many of their offspring are having a hard time integrating into an information based society, because a huge number of them never study, and when they do bother going to school, they disrupt classes. No, not all by any stretch, but the violence in certain areas is really horrible.

It is time to stop guilt-baiting people and start thinking of real solutions.

[Mondayboy]

06:43 PM on 01/10/2012

France wants to have it both ways. You go around the world trying to create an empire - then the empire collapses and those conquered nations start coming to France and you want to complain? France was built on the backs of those nations - payback is not a cup of tea, learn to deal with people who look and live differently from you.

[loutrerouge]

07:17 PM on 01/10/2012

I notice how historical-guilt apologists never mention abuses by Islamic empires towards Europe. Like say the Ottoman occupation of Greece for centuries on end or the slave raids and piracy by North African states on southern Europe that only ended in the 1800's.

[jamesjv]

03:05 AM on 01/11/2012

You forgot Turkey's invasion of Cyprus in '74.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is a self-declared state that occupies the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised ONLY by Turkey, while the international community considers Northern Cyprus an occupied territory of the Republic of Cyprus.

Turkey is constantly accusing Israel of an illegal occupation, but they have no problem with occupying Cyprus. The world media also condemns Israel, but say nothing about Turkey.

There is a definite double standard in the media, as well as on this board, where Islam is concerned.

[loutrerouge]

07:18 PM on 01/10/2012

Moreover, your "payback is not a cup of tea" is the precise justification given by Serbia for its actions in the 1990's, revenging itself for various crimes against it under the Ottomans and by the German allies (Croatian Ustashe and Bosnian Muslims) during WWII.

[kvs9020]

11:03 PM on 01/10/2012

I'd like to hear more!!! F & Fved...

[dawntoduskcm]

06:32 PM on 01/10/2012

Good for france!