The French interior minister says he will examine in “a lot of detail” how rules established by his predecessor, and interpretations of them by prefectures, are said to have made naturalisations more difficult for foreign retirees.
The promise came in response to senator for Charente Nicole Bonnefoy, who has renewed her call for more flexible citizenship rules for foreign retirees in France whose pensions come from abroad.
Senator Bonnefoy spoke again in the Senate in support of pensioners turned down on foreign income grounds, despite good integration in France, and she sent a new follow-up letter to the minister.
She had been left dissatisfied with responses from a previous oral question to the government and written exchanges with the interior and economy ministers.
This comes also after interior ministry figures confirmed a fall in the number of naturalisations last year, by 13.5%, linked to tougher rules laid out in last May’s circular from then Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau.
Speaking in the Senate, Ms Bonnefoy said her question related “once again to the May 2025 circular which is sadly famous to all applicants for French nationality”, adding that she and several colleagues have already raised concerns over its “disastrous effects”.
She told Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez: “You affirm that the circular only relates to mere administrative clarifications, and yet in the prefectures - everyone notices it - the criteria around professional integration and financial resources are being applied in an excessively rigid way.
“Refusals are increasing, waiting periods are lengthening, and legal insecurity is becoming established.
“I am especially thinking of the British citizens, who have been residents for years in our country – they chose France, not only to live here peacefully, but also to invest here.
“They participate fully in local life, renovate our houses, pay their taxes and keep our shops and trades alive.
“Up to now, case law in the administrative courts allowed an implicit exception for foreign retirees.
“Now, this circular has called into question many naturalisation procedures, sometimes retrospectively.
“And so, in our rural territories, there are thousands of retirees that are having their naturalisations refused on the grounds that their pensions come from their country of origin.”
Minister asked if he ‘takes responsibility’ for refusals
She asked if Mr Nuñez “clearly takes responsibility” for these rejections, or if he will “finally, revise this unfair circular so as to guarantee a fair application of the law, which respects equality and legal security”.
Mr Nuñez affirmed that the circular only takes up aspects of existing law. However, he said the circular expects that a “fine analysis” should be made of each case.
“I do not have reason to go back on these rules. But, if you are telling me that in the prefectures there is an overly strict interpretation, I do not wish that due to a circular, the prefectural services should self-censure… I do not wish that the prefectures should go beyond the letter of the circular.”
We note that last May’s circular referred to the possibility of “exceptions” being made.
He said he was not familiar with the fine details of the situation as regards the individuals about whom Ms Bonnefoy was speaking – “British citizens in certain parts of our territories” – but he said he would “look at this with great attention” and “will make sure that the circular and nothing but the circular is being applied”.
He added: “As for your precise question regarding calling into question the texts, the circulars that have been put out, this is not my intention. I work with what my predecessors have done.
“If there are anomalies – I have not been made aware of any but I take note of what you say – I will of course correct them. It is not my intention to go back on the dispositions, but I assure you I will look at this point in a lot of detail.”
Ms Bonnefoy said she noted his “good intentions”.
“I assure you that there are several of us here who have asked oral questions and sent letters to notify, in numerous departments, these situations which are no longer acceptable,” she said.
Senators repeatedly contacted over problem
Her follow-up letter was signed by several colleagues: Dordogne senators Marie-Claude Varaillas and Serge Mérillou, Nièvre senators Nadia Sollogoub and Patrice Joly, and Creuse senator Jean-Jacques Lozach.
The senators stated in the letter they wished to “confirm the alert that has been raised on the subject of the excessively rigid application of the circular of May 2, 2025”.
They said they are being “repeatedly contacted” in their local areas about this by “people who have built their lives in France in our territories and fully contribute to local life”.
A “revision of the circular seems essential to us to re-establish legal security around naturalisation procedures”.
The current rules are “discriminatory” to retirees, the senators said, adding that “such a situation causes real incomprehension and seems not fitting with the spirit of naturalisation, with aims to recognise the social, cultural and civic integration of the applicants, above and beyond the question of from where their money comes”.
They thanked the minister for his intention to study the subject and offered to meet to discuss in more detail how the income criteria could be adapted.
The senators also noted that the subject has been taken up in the press.
The Connexion has reported several times on the issue, after receiving many reports of such refusals last year from British and also American citizens refused on grounds of income mostly from abroad.
