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Immigrants flock to French overseas territories to guarantee French nationality |
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Saturday, 19 November 2005 |
Immigrants flock to French overseas territories to guarantee French nationalityOne of the most crucial republican values of France is its birthright law established in 1789 stating: a child born on French ground is French, no matter who the parents are. Recently the French minister for overseas affairs, Francois Baroin, provoked a debate on the issue saying that illegal immigrants were giving birth on French territories to ensure their children had French nationality.
His opinion was condemned by the opposition Socialist Party and the SOS Racism association. But, even though there are some reactions against Baroin's standpoint, which the minister revealed in the interview for the weekly magazine "Figaro" saying that: "the law of birthright even on mainland France should no longer be a taboo" it seems that he has found many enthusiasts among French politicians and society.
France, considered as an immigrant-friendly country has to pay its bills for such an open policy. That is why the politician dared to break a taboo about immigrants' problem of the overseas territories, but what is more significant - he may be able to count on the understanding of French society.
The problem with the birthright law is serious. There are some French islands on the Pacific Ocean which are the destination of a long and often dangerous journey for pregnant women from neighbouring islands. The biggest crisis is on the island of Mayotte where more than 30 percent of the inhabitants (from about 160 thousand) are of illegal origin. In the Capital of Mayotte, there is a clinic which is probably the biggest maternity hospital in France. Every year about 7.5 thousands women give birth in this clinic, which is far more than in any Parisian hospital. The authorities from Guatemala and Guyana have to cope with similar problems.
The number of the labors among immigrants is not the only problem. So-called "pregnancy immigrations" have more serious effects. Women from poorer islands usually decide to stay on the French ground and avail themselves of the social help which is ensured by the French social system. It causes economical depressions and unemployment among immigrants, reaching as high as 40 percent.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 04 September 2006 )
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