The French Senate has agreed to grant fewer rights to immigrants, according to the Libération media. With 210 votes in favour thanks to the right-wing and centrist alliance, and 115 votes against, the French Senate approved on Tuesday a tougher version of the immigration bill than the government’s proposal. The final version of the bill will now be transferred to the National Assembly for its elaboration. The debate will continue from 11 December.

With the latest changes, the French Senate has tightened up the repression of immigration: it has succeeded in eliminating medical aid from the state to irregular migrants; it has tightened up the provisions on access to and regularisation of allowances; it has made it difficult to meet the criteria for family reunification of families of migrated people who want to live in France; it has tightened the conditions for obtaining certificates of nationalisation and residence permits; it has made it difficult to provide social assistance and it has eliminated.

Emmanuel Macron’s government has no absolute majority to take the measure without change. But without an absolute majority, it can impose the bill, as it has done on other occasions.