PARIS — Lawmakers in the French National Assembly will vote on a Socialist Party proposal to grant amnesty to an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 unauthorized immigrants employed in France.
The measure is expected to be supported by center-left presidential candidate Raphaël Glucksmann, whose campaign is eager to find some breathing space between centrist candidates like Gabriel Attal and Edouard Philippe, and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, his rival on the radical left. Glucksmann has previously expressed support for such a step in multiple interviews.
The proposal, introduced by Socialist lawmaker Paul Christophle, hails Spain’s Pedro Sánchez for having “chosen to provide foreign nationals with the legal means to settle and work” instead of “trying — in vain — to control migration flows.”
Earlier this year, Spain moved to grant legal status to half a million unauthorized immigrants who could prove they had been living in Spain for at least five months, could provide proof of employment or a familial link to the country and did not have a criminal record.
Christophle wants to grant legal status to an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 people who have been employed in France for over six months but without proper documentation.
The bill is likely to unite left-leaning MPs in the French National Assembly, but opposition from center-right and far-right groups means it will probably fail.
However, Glucksmann’s campaign hopes the proposal will highlight a rift between lawmakers backing French President Emmanuel Macron and voters who elected him in 2022 — some of whom are more progressive on issues like immigration.
The debate on immigration will be an effective way to differentiate Glucksmann from his center-right rival Édouard Philippe, who believes that amnesty plans should be contingent on a European agreement, said an official who is backing the center-left MEP. It might also help poach Macron voters “who are completely opposed to a closed society,” he added.
Among those who voted for Macron in 2022, 29% plan to vote for Raphaël Glucksmann next year, according to a Cluster17 poll commissioned by POLITICO, against 49% for Édouard Philippe.
Glucksmann is currently projected to receive 13% of the overall vote, according to the poll, against 16% for Philippe. They both trail far-right frontrunner Marine Le Pen (33%) and Mélenchon (18.5%). The top two candidates will advance to a runoff if no one wins a majority in the first round.
The bill is scheduled to be voted on Nov. 19.
