France Eyes Immigration Fees to Slash Budget Deficit by €43.8 Billion

After the presentation by Prime Minister François Bayrou in mid-July of his plan for the 2026 budget, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau believes that efforts must be made on immigration. "We have to start from a simple idea: we are going to ask the French for efforts in this budget because the situation of our debt has become unsustainable," explains Patrick Stefanini, special representative of Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, on immigration, on LCI.

According to him, "it would be incomprehensible for our fellow citizens if we did not ask foreigners for efforts". How to achieve savings? Stefanini proposes that the State tax more "foreigners in a regular situation when they have a residence permit, when they become French". According to the calculations of the Beauvau administration, acting on the fiscal stamp associated with these procedures would bring in "160 million euros in additional revenue".

The senior LR official also relies on state medical assistance (AME). "If we do not reform the State Medical Assistance, with the proposals we have made, then it will be abolished," he warns. The one who co-wrote a report (new window) on the subject in December 2023 at the request of the government will add: "It is now deeply unsuitable: we have, with Spain, in terms of medical coverage of foreigners in an irregular situation, the most generous system. We need to compare ourselves to Germany, where the basket of care is more limited."

The wish of the ministry is therefore to limit the cases giving right to the AME, and in particular those considered as less urgent. "What the French do not understand is that foreigners in an irregular situation are covered for long-term conditions," Stefanini continued.