France's political circles are calling for tighter controls on the family reunification system to curb immigration, but immigration in which foreigners invite family members has in fact plunged.
According to a report released by the National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED) on the 29th (local time), foreigners who received French residence permits through family reunification accounted for only 5% of the total. From 2020 to 2023, family reunification averaged about 11,000 cases per year, a figure that is one-third of the level seen from the late 1980s to the early 1990s.
Family reunification is a system that allows foreigners living in France to bring a spouse or children, and French politicians have long pointed to it as a channel for excessive immigration. In January, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin proposed a complete suspension of the family reunification system for two to three years, and Minister for Gender Equality Aurore Bergé also recently said the government should consider strengthening the system.
In reality, however, entries through the system have been steadily decreasing. The requirements have been continuously tightened since the system was introduced in 1976. According to the daily Le Monde, a minimum income requirement has been imposed on family reunification applicants since 1993, and a housing space requirement was introduced in 1999.
Currently, for a foreigner to bring family to France, the person must have lived legally for at least 18 months and prove income at or above a certain level (SMIC, the minimum wage). In Île-de-France, including Paris, stringent housing space requirements are cited as the biggest hurdle. In 2023, the main reasons for rejecting family reunification applications were insufficient income and failure to meet housing conditions. Stricter standards have also led more people to abandon applications altogether, contributing to the decline. INED researcher Julia de Quirn said, "The decline in family reunification stems from 'abandonment' due to tightened standards," adding, "Complex administrative procedures and high economic thresholds are blocking immigrants' family reunification."
Changes in the immigration structure also played a role. In the past, it was common for married male workers to enter first and then bring their families, but recently more people are entering alone for study or employment. In fact, immigration to France is shifting from being family-centered to diversifying into education, employment and humanitarian reasons. Le Monde reported that not only family reunification but overall family immigration, including the families of French and European Union (EU) citizens, is declining, while other immigration channels such as study, employment and humanitarian reasons are on the rise.