OPINION: Yes, expats - France's anti-immigrant drift affects you too

Expats living in France can easily fall into the trap of thinking the French government’s toughening of immigration laws doesn’t apply to them. The reality is that all foreigners in France are in the firing line, Emma Pearson warns.

When is an immigrant not an immigrant? When they’re an expat.

The thing is, expats don’t exist. Well, not in the legal and immigration systems, anyway, despite what people may choose to call themselves.

If you’re not a citizen of an EU country then you will need a visa/residency permit to live in France – that means that any changes to immigration law will personally and directly affect you.

Personally I’m unbothered how people choose to describe themselves – different terms feel right for different people, and they reflect all sorts of different things from race and age to long-term intentions in France and work status.

But anyone who thinks that they’re not affected by immigration changes or the rising levels of anti-immigrant rhetoric present in French politics simply because they see themselves as an “expat” is, not to put too fine a point on it, kidding themselves.

You can see how this happens though – it happens because of the coded language and dog-whistle racism that some French politicians use to talk about those of us who live in a country other than the one they were born in.

Take current interior minister Bruno Retailleau, from the traditionally centre-right party Les Républicains, who said in March: “Immigration is not an opportunity for France. That’s a statement that I stand by; I own it.

“We receive, without any control, half a million foreigners onto our soil every year.

“They arrive in France thinking they will find El Dorado. However, we no longer have the means, even for our own citizens, to provide them with proper housing, healthcare and education. A third of them live below the poverty line.

“We also know that there is a link between security issues and migration issues – for example in the Rhône département, 57 percent of those accused of street crime, which includes, for example, theft from vehicles, are foreigners.”

Or take the former interior minister, now justice minister, Gérald Darmanin. Introducing his new immigration law in 2022, he said: “We know that 25 percent to 40 percent of foreigners with residence permits speak and write French poorly – or even very poorly.

“More than half of those affected are women: they are particularly vulnerable, especially when it comes to communitarianisme [identity politics, particularly linked to Islamic extremism].”

As with most politicians, there’s a quiet part and an out-loud part – both of the above quotes talk about immigration in general, or residency permit holders as a group – but the examples that they give make it clear that they are focusing only on a very small percentage of immigrants; irregular arrivals, asylum seekers, Muslim women.

Over the border in the Netherlands, far-right leader Geert Wilders says the quiet part out loud – his platform includes closing all mosques and turning away all asylum seekers at the Dutch borders.

Repulsive as he is, he is at least more honest – in France as in many other countries, the right and far right use coded language to express the same sentiments as Wilders.

This might leave the ‘expat’ population believing that any changes to immigration laws don’t apply to them.

But they’re mistaken.

Politicians might wish it, but it’s nearly impossible to pass laws that affect only the type of immigrants they don’t want (normally non-white people, low-skilled workers or anyone from a Muslim country) and don’t affect the “expats” (Americans, Brits, Canadians, people either working in professional jobs or living off pensions and investment income)..

Sure, laws can be aimed at a certain group – but they will end up affecting at least some people in other immigrant groups too.

Look at the 2024 Immigration law, for example, brought in to “improve integration levels” of non-French born people, including their language skills, as decried by Darmanin.

Among the measures are French tests for long-term residency cards and a higher French language requirement in order to become a French citizen. The former applies to any non-EU citizens, including Brits and Americans of course, the latter to anyone who isn’t French.

Or let’s look at Retailleau’s recent circulaire tightening up the rules on granting French citizenship.

We know of at least two cases of British retirees in Charente who have been turned down for citizenship since the tightening up of rules on non-French income, despite fulfilling all the other criteria. There is anecdotal evidence that many more people have been affected.

Even those who haven’t been turned down have been hit by an apparent freeze on processing applications at some préfectures while the new systems bed in.

Then let’s take a look at some of the immigration ideas proposed in recent years which have not (so far) made it into law;

A requirement to live in France for two years before you can apply for a spouse visa for your husband/wife to join you?

A ban on dual nationals being able to do a wide range of government or publicly-funded jobs?

A requirement for foreign students to pay a hefty deposit before they can secure a visa?

All of the above would apply to all citizens of non-EU countries – so again that’s Brits, Americans, Australians, New Zealanders and many more.

I don’t claim to be able to read the minds of right-wing politicians, but I strongly suspect that they’re not intending for “expats” to get caught up in their laws.

In fact, one right-wing senator even tried to introduce a new visa specifically for second-home owners to make it easier for Brits to come to France for extended stays (the idea didn’t pass).

And if you talk to right-wingers about immigration it isn’t too long before you hear “mais pas les immigrants comme vous, Madame” – but not the immigrants like you.

I think it’s important to acknowledge that those often called “expats” are the most privileged group of immigrants – by and large, they are financially secure, they have the resources and skills needed to integrate into the country and if things don’t work out they almost always have the option to return to their home country.

In France they don’t generally experience much hostility or prejudice on a daily basis and, for those who are white, racism is not a problem.

But just as precision bombing doesn’t exist, neither does precision legislation – there will always be the gruesomely named ‘collateral damage’.

Foreigners living in France can easily fall into a false sense of security in thinking immigrants have nothing to do with them – but if you ever have to interact with the immigration system via visas, carte de séjours or citizenship applications, then the strike can come for you at any time.

OPINION: Yes, expats – France’s anti-immigrant drift affects you too

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