France approves new asylum law

France’s parliament passed the law on asylum and immigration despite opposition of several political forces, Euractiv informs. 

The bill stipulates the acceleration of asylum procedures by cutting the maximum processing time to 90 days after entering France from 120 days. 

The text was adopted on a final reading by 100 votes in favour and 25 opposed. The bill was rejected by the Senate on July 31, however, the lower house, where Emmanuel Macron’s party holds the majority, adopted the document. 

In addition to the reduction of the time necessary for overcoming administrative obstacles, the document reduces the term for asylum application submission to six months. 

The government insists that the law will allow the “controlled immigration, an effective right to asylum and successful integration” of migrants. 

Nevertheless, the bill aroused disputes among lawmakers. The left ones have condemned the doubling of maximum detention from 45 days to 90, expressing concern with the possibility to see “children behind bars” for up to three months. 

Some on the right, on the contrary, called the text of the law “lax” and consider that as the result, the majority of migrants will obtain legal status in France.