Most French blame liberal immigration policies for riots
Most French blame liberal immigration policies for riots
Share:

USA: A forthcoming immigration bill will be tightened, according to 59% of the French populace, in response to a recent upsurge in violent crime across the country. Government officials assert that the rioters were "90% French," but opposition politicians have called the unrest the start of a "race war." 

Since late last year, the French government has been drafting a comprehensive immigration law; lawmakers are anticipated to vote on the final version this autumn. The bill gives the government greater authority to deport foreign aliens while making it simpler for legal immigrants to obtain work permits.

However, a poll released on Thursday by Le Figaro found that 59% of French citizens believe the law should be toughened in light of last week's widespread riots. The newspaper claims that almost six out of ten French people believe the riots are "the result of the failures of our immigration policy." 

Also Read: Sudan war: 'Alarming' increase in rape and kidnapping, say aid organisations

In response to the teenager's refusal to comply during a traffic stop in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on June 27, police shot and killed him. Despite the fact that the responsible officer was charged with murder, riots quickly spread throughout the nation. Arson and vandalism were widely practised, and while some rioters were seen carrying military-grade weapons, others attacked police with fireworks and molotov cocktails.

The majority of the youths who started the violence were of immigrant backgrounds. By claiming that only 10% of the more than 3,500 people detained during the riots were foreigners, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin attempted to minimise the racial nature of the violence.

Also Read: Russia's drone programme and disputes with Iran and Russia over Tehran's uranium enrichment

Darmanin noted that those responsible were "90% French," adding that "young offenders are today's problem, not foreigners."

The numbers provided by Darmanin do not include immigrants of the second and third generations. These "delinquents...shout their hatred of France and burn its flag" despite having French passports, MEP François-Xavier Bellamy wrote in Le Figaro on Wednesday. "Naturalisation does not mean assimilation," Bellamy continued.

"Guerrilla warfare, not riots, is taking place. A population that wants to secede from France is challenging France and our institutions, said MP Nicolas Dupont-Aignan on Friday. Former presidential candidate Eric Zemmour had called the riots, which were raging at the time, "a race war," and solely blamed "the number of immigrants" in France.

Also Read: Iraq launches an investigation into the disappearance of a Russian-Israeli academic

The results of a poll by Le Figaro show that the French people support such severe punishment. In response to the unrest, roughly 71% called for "a reduction in migration flows," 75% demanded that dual nationals found guilty of rioting lose their French citizenship, and 90% demanded more police presence in the troubled areas. 

Join NewsTrack Whatsapp group
Related News