"This is our bill": France Bans Nigerian Students, Others From Bringing Families
- The French parliament has passed a controversial immigration reform which affects Nigerians and other foreign students
- The new law banned international students including Nigerians from bringing their families to the country.
- The reform which is tougher delays immigrant family members from accessing welfare benefits.
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering basic and tertiary education in Nigeria and worldwide
Francis, Paris - This is not the best time for Nigerians and other international students in France as the nation's parliament has passed a law restraining them from bringing their families to the country.
The BBC News reported that President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance Party and Deputy of the French National Assembly, Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, have both backed the law.
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This development is coming a week after the parliament rejected a previous draft alongside the National Rally that voted against it.
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The French government redrafted the bill, making some of its provisions tougher delaying immigrant family members from accessing welfare benefits.
The controversial law also bans detaining minors in detention centres.
The provision discriminates between citizens and migrants, even those living legally, in determining eligibility for benefits.
Ms Le Pen called the amended bill an "ideological victory" for the far-right, who backed it on Monday, December 18.
The leader of the right-wing Republican party, Eric Ciotti, said "This is our bill," describing it as "firm and courageous".
But left-wingers said Mr Macron was enabling the far-right.
The Socialist Party leader, Olivier Faure said "History will remember those who betrayed their convictions."
32 of France's 101 departments, including Paris, said they would refuse to implement the provisions of the law on benefits for non-citizens.
UK bans Nigerian students, others from bringing families
In a similar development, Legit.ng reported that Rishi Sunak, the prime minister of the United Kingdom (UK), announced some measures to cut down immigration.
In a tweet sighted by Legit.ng, Sunak said immigration to the UK is too high and announced measures to bring it down.
He said that the UK government is banning overseas students (Nigerians also to be affected) from bringing their families to the country. The students exempted from this are those on postgraduate research degrees, according to the UK prime minister.
UK reportedly set to deport Nigerian students, others over poor results
A government’s top adviser in the United Kingdom said foreign students could be deported from the country if they fail to achieve high enough grades.
The Home Secretary, James Cleverly, has called on the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the two-year graduate visas.
It was gathered that the review is part of a five-point plan to reduce net migration by 300,000 from its record-high levels.
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Source: Legit.ng
