PDA

View Full Version : France expels record number of illegal immigrants, minister boasts



okie52
1/11/2012, 05:03 PM
French Interior Minister Claude Gueant speaks to journalists after delivering a speech about figures of 2011 immigration to France at his ministry on January 10, 2012 in Paris. Gueant has announced he wants to go back to 150,000 entries of foreigners living legally in France, as in the 1990s.

PARIS - French Interior Minister Claude Gueant boasted on January 10, 2012 that the country expelled a record number of illegal immigrants last year and vowed to significantly reduce legal immigration.

The announcement came three months ahead of a presidential election in which far-right candidate Marine Le Pen of the National Front is expected to target President Nicolas Sarkozy's immigration policies.

Gueant, a close ally of Sarkozy and well-known hardliner on immigration, said France had expelled 32,922 illegal immigrants last year, up from 28,026 in 2010.

"This is the highest level ever attained," he said during a press conference, adding that France would seek to expell 35,000 illegal immigrants this year.

Gueant also said the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country had dropped to 182,595 last year, down from 189,455 in 2010.

Describing current immigration figures as a "migration policy out of control," he said he hoped to reduce the number of legal immigrants to 150,000 per year - a level not seen since the 1990s.

Gueant has repeatedly linked immigration with crime in France and on Tuesday said the delinquency rate among immigrants was "two to three times higher" than the national average.

Ton Loc
1/11/2012, 05:13 PM
Where do they get most of their illegal immigrants?

Midtowner
1/11/2012, 05:20 PM
They've expelled a lot of Roma lately.

okie52
1/11/2012, 05:22 PM
Largely arabs. I think from N Africa but I'm sure there are plenty of ME arabs there too.

Ton Loc
1/11/2012, 06:02 PM
Should have asked this earlier, but why do they go to France?

okie52
1/11/2012, 06:51 PM
Should have asked this earlier, but why do they go to France?

I don't know if it was France in particular or just targeting Europe in general and they just happened to land in France.

Jacie
1/11/2012, 06:56 PM
Should have asked this earlier, but why do they go to France?

Where else can you find "ooh la la"?

yermom
1/11/2012, 07:02 PM
They've expelled a lot of Roma lately.

dang Gypsies.