French conservative politician Bruno Retailleau has presented a wide-ranging plan to sharply restrict immigration, placing the issue at the centre of the political debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The 56-page policy document sets out proposals covering legal and illegal migration, student visas, employment, asylum, family reunification and the rules for acquiring French citizenship.
Retailleau, a leading figure in the conservative Les Républicains party and a possible contender in a right-wing presidential primary, said France needed a major change in its immigration policy. He criticised rival Edouard Philippe for defending what he described as the existing approach, arguing that small adjustments would not address the problems he associates with migration.
The proposals include reducing the number of foreign students arriving in France by half. Retailleau also wants to make repeating an academic year a possible reason for cancelling a student’s residence permit. On employment, he says work-related migration should be tied more closely to the needs of the French economy and that people who receive work permits should be required to take up genuine employment.
His plan also proposes changing the asylum system. Applicants who could receive protection in a safe third country could have their cases examined outside France, although the countries that might take part in such arrangements have not yet been identified. Retailleau also wants to end regularisations for undocumented migrants and make it harder for people to obtain French nationality through birth, family links or marriage.
One of the most controversial parts concerns healthcare. He proposes abolishing state medical aid for undocumented people and replacing it with emergency-only treatment. The current programme provides healthcare access to undocumented residents and costs an estimated €1.5 billion annually.
Retailleau says he would seek constitutional changes in autumn 2027 if elected, followed by a referendum law in 2028. He also wants French constitutional law to take priority over European Union law in this area.
The proposals are likely to intensify debate within the French right and across the country. Immigration is expected to be a major issue in the next presidential campaign, but Retailleau faces the challenge of winning wider public support for a programme that critics may view as too restrictive.
