Darmanin made a loud statement in an interview with the Journal du Dimanche. The head of the Ministry of Justice stated bluntly: France’s current migration model must be broken. Instead of accepting new migrants, the country, in his opinion, should focus on assimilating those who are already on its territory.
The minister proposes tough measures. Among them – limiting the issuance of residence permits, abolishing the right to family reunification for migrant workers and introducing mandatory migration quotas through constitutional changes. Paris, Darmanen believes, should determine for itself how many foreigners it is ready to accept, from which countries and with what qualifications.
“Let’s stop immigration, deport those who need to be expelled and deal with the assimilation of those who have already arrived,” the minister said.
Separately, Darmanen also hit out at employers. According to him, businesses are using cheap foreign labor as a tool to put pressure on French wages. He noted that many heavy professions today are actually held by migrants, who are easier to exploit and are often paid less.
The statement came amid record migration figures. According to the French DGEF, in 2025 the number of legal migrants with residence permits in France exceeded 4.5 million people. And the total number of foreigners in the country is estimated at 8.5 million.
The migration issue has long split French society. Back in late 2023, the country’s parliament adopted a tough law on migration, which was also initiated by Darmanen. The document complicated the procedure of family reunification, expanded deportation mechanisms and introduced migration quotas. The response was mass protests: thousands of people took to the streets of Paris and other cities.
Against the backdrop of growing tensions, the migration crisis is once again becoming one of the central topics of European politics. After the 2015 refugee wave, many EU countries continue to argue about borders, quotas and the future of integration.
