France to Tighten Immigration Rules, Restricting Residence Permits

Trouble ahead for foreigners in France? Bruno Retailleau will make several changes to the country’s immigration policy. In 2025, the Minister of the Interior plans to replace the circular signed in 2012 by Manuel Valls, then Prime Minister, and governing the issuance of residence permits to undocumented immigrants. This circular concerns the regularization of 30,000 people per year, while the Retailleau circular will frame the regularizations through the work of undocumented immigrants present in France and strengthen the verification of pay slips and employment contracts at the prefecture level. The new circular will have to integrate a new list of shortage occupations. This measure already provided for by the Darmanin law has never come into force.

In 2025, Retailleau plans to restrict the conditions for accessing residence permits for medical reasons and tighten the conditions for accessing state medical assistance (AME). From next year, it will therefore be more difficult for undocumented immigrants present in France to receive free medical care. The minister also plans to tighten the conditions for access to family reunification. Moreover, the family reunification procedure, which allows foreigners legally residing in France to bring their family, is already subject to requirements in terms of resources and housing.

Retailleau also intends to "restore the offense of irregular stay," which he considers an "urgent measure" that will give law enforcement more investigative powers.