October 18, 2026

Athens News

News in English from Greece

Darmanin: France has reached its limit on migration


France discusses sharp tightening of migration policy: Minister of Justice Gerald Darmanin said the country had “reached its breaking point.”

France may sharply tighten migration policy. Minister of Justice Gerald Darmanin proposed to temporarily suspend part legal immigration for up to two to three yearssaying the country has “reached the breaking point” when it comes to integrating and assimilating migrants.


Briefly about the main thing

  • Darmanen proposed to pause some of the legal migration during France.
  • It’s primarily about family reunion and labor migration.
  • Exceptions may apply for physicians, researchers and individual students.
  • France admits that the previous model of integration is no longer adequate.
  • A similar discussion is taking place in Germanywhere they discuss revising the rules for obtaining citizenship.

According to European media, Darmanen’s proposal has not yet become law. But the political signal is clear: even in countries that have defended an open migration model for decades, there is growing talk of the need for restrictions. This is no longer just about illegal entry, but about the very ability of the state to accept, support and integrate new people.

France no longer wants to pretend that everything is working

Darmanen explains his position by growing migration pressure and overload of the social system. In France, the question is increasingly being asked: how many people can the country absorb without disrupting schools, healthcare, the housing market, security and local communities?

Particularly irritating family reunion. According to available data, a significant part of residence documents is related to this category. As a result, one residence permit may become not the end point, but the beginning of a new chain of entry.

France actually admits what has been whispered in many countries: integration does not work automatically. It is not enough to issue documents and declare a person part of society. What is needed is language, work, education, housing, security, control and the willingness of the state itself to recognize the limits of its capabilities.

Europe is being sold as a social ATM

There is also a more unpleasant side, which European authorities have preferred to remain silent about for too long. Migration flows are formed not only by wars, poverty and real demand for labor. It’s been working around them for a long time human trafficking industry.

These networks sell potential migrants a simple and dangerous image of Europe: pay a few thousand euros for the journey, you will end up in EUreceive status, housing, benefits and the opportunity to move your family. For some, this is a desperate hope. For others, it’s a calculation. For carriers, it is a profitable business based on human expectations.

This is where the European model begins to crack. When welfare state becomes part of the advertising image for illegal migration, it ceases to be only a mechanism for protecting the weak and turns into a magnet for poorly controlled flows. Then the authorities are surprised by the increase in expenses, ghettoization, parallel societies and the rise of right-wing parties. A very touching surprise, especially after many years of political blindness.

Not everyone comes to work

The main question, which is now increasingly difficult to avoid: Who exactly comes to Europe and why? It’s one thing to have specialists, doctors, engineers, students, and workers in industries in short supply. It’s completely different for people who initially rely not on labor integration, but on a system of benefits, temporary statuses and long procedures.

This does not mean that all migrants can be counted as dependents. Among them are many people who work, pay taxes and truly become part of society. But it is no longer possible to deny the other part of the problem. If the state does not distinguish those who come to work and integrate from those who want to live off the host system, it itself creates a political mine.

Germany is looking in the same direction

A similar discussion is taking place in Germany. Representatives Christian Democratic Union demand a revision of the law, which simplified the acquisition of citizenship and allowed dual citizenship.

This is already a pan-European reversal. Authorities are beginning to talk not only about borders, but also about the costs of previous policies: social costs, pressure on housing, schools, security, cultural compatibility and the ability of the state to control its own decisions.

The political calculation is obvious

Darmanen’s statement also has an electoral meaning. In France, migration has long been the main battlefield between the center, the right and the far right. If previously such proposals were made mainly from National Associationnow politicians from the government camp are beginning to adopt them.

This does not speak of the sudden boldness of the authorities, but of the fear of losing control over the agenda. When society has been talking about a problem for years, and the elites pretend that they only hear “hate speech,” sooner or later the conversation returns – but in a much harsher form.

Editorial comment

France said out loud what Europe has been hiding under the rug for too long: the migration model has failed. Documents by themselves do not create integration. Benefits are not a substitute for work. Humanitarian slogans do not solve the problem of parallel societies.

The problem is not that Europe doesn’t need migrants. Needed. But she needs those who are ready to work, learn the language, follow the rules and become part of society. A not those to whom the criminal transporters sold Europe as a place where they could live on payments without taking on any obligations.

The main conclusion is harsh but obvious: a welfare state cannot be an advertising brochure for illegal migration. If the authorities do not control entry, selection and integration, what they get is not a humane policy, but a long-term crisis, which is then paid for by taxpayers, schools, hospitals, the police and the migrants themselves who really wanted a normal life.

Now European governments are starting to say things for which they only recently condemned their opponents. Not because they have seen the light. But because the bill has finally arrived – economic, social and political.



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