French government suffers major setback as MPs reject immigration bill

Left-wing and right-wing opposition lawmakers joined forces in France on Monday to vote through a 'motion of rejection' against the government's draft immigration legislation, and bring all debates on the bill to an immediate halt.

It was a serious blow to President Emmanuel Macron's government, and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin faced calls to resign. MPs from far-left France Unbowed and Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally combined forces in the vote on Monday, which squeezed through 270-265.

Darmanin said before the vote that stopping debates on the bill in the lower house would be a "denial of democracy." The speaker, Yael Braun-Pivet, said MPs would be "shooting themselves in the foot" if they voted not to have a debate on the proposals.

The rejection motion, while denying MPs the chance to discuss the bill in the National Assembly, also signals a major failure of the government in convincing lawmakers to debate the text. The rejection does not signal the end of the immigration bill though as the government can opt to allow it to continue on to the Senate.

But the government is facing calls to withdraw the bill in its entirety which would force ministers to come up with a full rewrite of their proposals.

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It can also use special executive powers to force its adoption without a vote, a tactic that drew heavy criticism when Macron used it to push through his Pension Reforms. In the following days many French cities witnessed riots on the streets.

The immigration bill has been a key part of Macron's attempts to show he can be tougher on law and order issues while keeping France's doors open to foreign workers who can help the French economy.

But short of a majority in parliament, he has struggled to pass a bill that has strict provisions disliked by left-wing lawmakers and more liberal aspects criticized by some conservatives and the far right.

The left wants the immigration reforms to be less right-wing; while the right wants the government to be much tougher. Earlier in the day, unions demonstrated outside the National Assembly, demanding the bill be amended with more protections for undocumented workers.

The government has presented the bill as essential to expel foreign criminals more easily. One provision removes a ban on expelling those migrants who arrived in France before the age of 13, as was the case for the alleged Russian-born Islamist militant who killed a French teacher in October.

The proposed legislation will make family reunifications more complicated and it will restrict the possibility to come to France for medical treatment. The bill will introduce an annual quota for the number of migrant arrivals to be set by the French parliament, and it will remove all but emergency medical coverage for undocumented people.

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