France’s interior minister ‘regrets’ that immigration referendum is not possible Bruno Retailleau’s comments to French media were described as ‘divisive’ by both opponents and allies of President Macron
Man who dug holes near Van Gogh’s grave told to leave France The Belarusian said he was digging the holes as part of an ‘artistic act’
French MPs still trying to ease visa process for second-home owners Chasing letters to the minister, parliamentary questions - MPs continue to lobby for simpler temporary long-stay visas
practical Will France's new language rules affect Brexit residency cards? A number of visas required to live in France have been affected by the new immigration law
What are France’s new language level rules to apply for residency? The recent immigration law requires better language skills for some residency cards and to get French nationality
France’s ‘droit du sol’ rule for nationality: what change is planned? The government wants to suspend the ‘territorial principle’ on Mayotte in response to the island's illegal immigration crisis
How long is the wait for a French Ofii visa interview? Validating your visa means you will be invited to a half-day at the French immigration agency - here is what to expect
New tougher French language rules for immigration: who is affected? The rules for residency cards and nationality are changing but there are exemptions
LIST: what was kept and what was rejected in French immigration law Conseil constitutionnel rejected a third of items including an ‘automatic visa’ plan for Britons owning second homes - but approved increasing the level of French needed for certain residency cards
Automatic visa for second home visits: Senator feedback and questions We talk to Senator Berthet about the next steps and answer queries
See: Key changes passed in France’s new immigration law The law’s many provisions cover family benefits, naturalisation, quotas, detention centres and more
Depardieu, immigration: key points of President Macron’s TV interview He spoke for two hours on French television after MPs passed his government’s immigration bill
Visas, residency cards: What changes in France’s new immigration law? Non-EU citizens, for example Americans or Britons, coming to France to live or work in France will be affected by several changes in the new law passed by parliament
UK income threshold plan for British-French families called ‘cruel’ People who left the UK to live in France may not be able to return with their family if British visa minimum income levels double, says campaigner ‘We must help ease 90/180 rule for owners of French second-homes’ Immigration law rejected in France: is this the end of it? French immigration bill: What happens now to second-home visits plan?
UK’s new immigration plan would bar many UK-French families Couples would need to demonstrate income of at least £38,700 – more than double the current amount Are Britons making a lot of demands on French prefectures? Second-home Britons urged to ask their French MP for visa plan support French residency card fraud under investigation Former policeman accused of renting out 100 slum flats in Marseille Nationality, residency cards, visas: what French Senate kept in bill
Residency cards, expulsions, second homes: what French bill proposes Senate is scrutinising immigration law which seeks to toughen some rules and lighten others
50 French senators back more flexible rules for second-home owners More than a quarter of the dominant Les Républicains group in the Senate have now put their name to one or more amendments
Immigration bill: amendment for non-French second-home owners expected We spoke to immigration and legal experts about the controversial bill set for debate this autumn
Pope Francis in Marseille for unofficial visit focused on immigration The city was chosen to highlight the migration crisis and loss of life in the Mediterranean sea, a deeply important issue for the Pope. ‘I am visiting Marseille, not France,’ he said
Macron raises possibility of referendum on immigration in France But would such a plan first need constitutional change?
President Macron faces battle over immigration crackdown in France Right-wing politicians call for tougher measures, including making overstaying a visa a crime, as parliament prepares to debate bill
France’s immigrants: We look at the trends in the latest official data What is the percentage of immigrants in France and where do most come from? We review the figures as President Macron pledges to significantly reduce numbers
Does Macron's use of the word sécession have US Civil War overtones? A civil war, or immigrants ‘splitting’ from France? We ask Vincent Bernard, a French historian and US Civil War expert, to shed light on this distinctive word
France must significantly reduce immigration, says Macron There must be better protection with non-EU borders, said the president in an interview published yesterday (August 23)
Five questions on how UK’s new border scheme could impact EU tourists The new ‘contactless border’ could see EU travellers having to obtain paid authorisation to enter the UK within the next couple of years
Eight key takeaways from landmark French immigration study How many immigrants are there in France? Where do they come from? How has immigration shaped their lives?
Immigration: Interior minister wants family members to sit French test There are also plans to tighten rules around means levels and accommodation. We look at who would be affected if this is brought in
French tests, more workers: France’s immigration bill begins debate Ministers want to make it harder to stay in France long-term if you do not speak French – but also to cut down on queuing at prefectures for those who do
55 Britons, 85 US citizens told to leave France: why this happens We look at how non-EU citizens fall foul of French immigration laws and who can help
French work permits should be subject to points system, says MP The idea is under review and could be added to a new immigration bill. Applicants would have more or fewer points depending on their degree, language skills or origin
French MPs to vote on idea of a language test for some residency cards The measure features in the immigration bill which will go before parliament in the new year
UK-France deal on tackling Channel crossings 'in final stages' Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met for the first time with President Macron at COP27. The plan could involve a 'joint control centre' operating patrols and drones
Language test, new residence permit: ministers share immigration plans Proposals aim to give a ‘balance’ between tougher measures and easier immigration for workers
Inflation, retirement, immigration: Key points from Macron interview The president addressed topics including retirement age, energy costs, inflation, immigration and crime, and GP numbers. We summarise the main points
Suspect in murder of Lola, 12: What is a OQTF order to leave France? The brutal killing of a girl in Paris has prompted debate over immigration laws and ‘OQTF’ orders
France to develop ‘more demanding immigrant integration process’ The interior minister says he wants cartes de séjour to be subject to a language test and for applicants to accept the values of the Republic
French minister: We judge foreigners for what they do not who they are Gérald Darmanin said the government will seek to remove a rule preventing criminals from being expelled if they arrived in France before turning 13
Almost 100,000 cartes de séjour granted to Britons in France in 2021 New figures show that the number was 13 times higher last year than in 2020. Overall immigration is also on the rise
Hunger-strike baker stands as MP to give a voice to migrants in France After campaigning to stop the deportation of his apprentice, Stéphane Ravacley thinks French immigration policy is unfair and aims to join the Assemblée Nationale to end the 'nonsense’
Immigration, residency: The policies of French election candidates Which candidates would make it harder – or easier – for foreigners to settle in France? We also look at what some say about language tests and dual citizenship
Nationality, visas, asylum: Why immigration rose in France in 2021 The pandemic had a major effect on migration in 2020, but figures are now rising again
French election candidate Eric Zemmour found guilty of hate speech The far-right polemicist has been fined €10,000 for comments he made about unaccompanied migrant children
Afghan evacuee in France given 10-month suspended prison sentence The man was placed under police surveillance when he arrived in France due to suspected links to the Taliban. He was sentenced after breaking the rules by going to Paris
France border controls criticised after fatal police worker stabbing New law to be presented this week to allow for increased use of computer algorithms to detect potential threats among internet users
Le Pen’s immigration referendum pledge: What the latest figures show The far-right leader said her first act as president would be to hold a referendum on border control, but data shows a sharp drop in immigration from 2019-2020, mainly due to Covid-19
Brexit: Lords to fight again for Britons' family rights The peers will make a – possibly final – bid today to maintain a long-term right to return to UK with EU family without a means test
UK’s immigration stance worrying, says French MEP The UK’s hardline stance on immigration is “worrying”, former French Europe minister Nathalie Loiseau, who is now an MEP, has told Connexion .
Major UK emigration exhibition wants postcard from you British people who live abroad in the EU in countries like France are being invited to send a postcard to be used in the first exhibition about emigration from the UK.
Queen's Speech: Votes for life and immigration points Ending the 15-year limit on expatriate voting has again been raised in yesterday’s Queen’s Speech.
MPs ignored suburban and rural France at their peril Mathematician Hervé Le Bras, emeritus researcher at France’s Institute for Demographic Studies and director of research at the School for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences, gives his verdict on the gilets jaunes and migration
French anti-immigrant group members jailed and fined Three members of a French right-wing anti-immigration group have been sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of €2,000 each for their part in anti-immigrant actions on the Franco-Italian border.
'Points' immigration plan for post-Brexit UK UK prime minister frontrunner Boris Johnson has expressed support for an ‘Australian-style’ points system for immigration to the UK after Brexit – here we look at what this implies and what would be in place for Britons wanting to come to France.
French village offers asylum seekers a place to stay Migrants stay in converted former gendarmerie barracks pending completion of their applications
Migrants climb aboard cross-Channel ferry at Calais Services delayed for several hours as police search vessel after about 100 people break through port perimeter
UK immigration shake-up to prioritise skills and means The UK has confirmed that lower-skilled – and lower-earning – EU workers will no longer have an automatic right to come and work in the UK after Brexit.
Integration and Brexit: French Ministry advice The French Interior Ministry has created new information pages for Britons in France after Brexit; we have translated key sections of them.
Chauvinism isn’t half of it... What a curious article by Nick Inman in your September issue ( The joke is on everyone who takes pride in their chauvinist views ). The notion of “extreme nationalism” misses the point of the current upsurge of emotions with regard to nationalism. His piece seems to merge the idea of being a patriot when asked to go to war for your country with supporting your national team in the annual Six Nations.
Channel Tunnel shows need for real-world thinking Arguably the greatest Anglo-French achievement in history is the Channel Tunnel. The incredible link was opened by the Queen and President François Mitterrand in 1994 as a symbol of growing ties between two of Europe’s most powerful countries, and has largely fulfilled all expectations.
South West France boosted by newcomers The Ancrage Association seeks to document the histories of migrants – including the British – to South West France. Brian McCulloch listens to a talk by its founder Joël Combres (pictured below)
Hotels turns to migrant workers to fill jobs Despite a lucrative summer season, thousands of vacancies in the hospitality industry threaten the sector’s stability, ahead of autumn
French ports 'ready to welcome migrant rescue ship' The port of Sète in Hérault and Corsica both say they are ready to welcome the ship Aquarius, which is carrying 141 Africans rescued from the Mediterranean – however this would depend on the French government’s go-ahead.
France grants refugee status to 42 Aquarius migrants The city of Lille has granted official refugee status to the 42 Sudanese migrants who arrived in the Nord after coming to Europe on humanitarian migrant ship the Aquarius.
Solidarity is no longer a crime People giving humanitarian help to illegal migrants will no longer be prosecuted after a law permitting this was found to be contrary to the concept of fraternité, one of France’s common ideals like egality and liberty.
Europeans living in UK at lowest level in four years The number of European citizens living permanently in the UK is at its lowest level in four years, with Brexit suggested as one of the reasons for the change.
Macron: France to welcome migrants from Lifeline ship France is to be one of six European nations to welcome a portion of the migrants from the humanitarian vessel Lifeline , which looks set to land in Malta in the coming days, President Emmanuel Macron has announced.
French woman held after accidental USA border cross A French woman from Briançon (Hautes-Alpes) has described how she spent two weeks in an American migrant detention centre after accidentally crossing over the American border with Canada while out jogging.
Violence condemned after 22 injured in Calais fights Interior Minister and Secretary of State Gérard Collomb has condemned the “unprecedented violence” at the Calais migrant camp, after a serious brawl left over 22 people hurt, of which four are battling life-threatening injuries.
Macron and May sign new Calais immigration treaty President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Theresa May have signed a new treaty - named the “Treaty of Sandhurst” - on immigration between the two countries.
Find out about future of France/UK border Academics from both sides of the Channel are coming together at a free English-language event in Paris this week to look at the future of the Franco-British border after Brexit.
Frenchman who helps refugees given suspended jail time A French farmer-activist who regularly helps migrants arriving at the French-Italian border in France has been given a four-month suspended jail sentence.
France has low immigration rate Professor El Mouhoub Mouhoud, an economist from Paris-Dauphine university, examines migration in his new book L’immigration en France (Fayard).
Immigrant camp destroyed by fire Red skies above Channel town visible for miles after fight between Afghans and Kurds
Charity rejects €60m from EU in a migrant policy row Medical aid group Médecins Sans Frontières has refused to take any further EU funding in protest at its immigration policy, which it says put migrants’ lives in peril worldwide.
Valley farmer faces jail for helping illegal immigrants A farmer from a valley that runs across the Italian and French border has told Connexion he will carry on helping migrants who cross from Italy to where he lives – even if he goes to prison.