The French Minister of Health, Aurélien Rousseau, resigned this Wednesday after the approval by Parliament of a new immigration law that strengthens the ability to deport foreigners considered undesirable and which has been the subject of intense debate.
The resignation was announced by the spokesman for the French Government, Olivier Véran, adding that Aurélien Rousseau will be replaced on an interim basis by the current minister delegate responsible for health professions, Agnès Firmin Le Bodo.
“There is no movement of ministerial revolt,” assured Olivier Véran, during the briefing of the Council of Ministers held this Wednesday and in which Aurélien Rousseau no longer participated.
The Minister of Health presented his letter of resignation to the Secretary General of the Elysée, Alexis Kohler, and communicated it by telephone to the Prime Minister, whose chief of staff he was.
Aurélien Rousseau had already communicated, last summer, his opposition to the version of the immigration bill, considerably toughened by the extreme right.
Like Rousseau, several ministers unfavorable to the bill, such as Clément Beaune (Minister of Transport) or Sylvie Retailleau (Higher Education), were received on Tuesday night at the Matignon hotel, the prime minister’s official residence, he said. today the French. press.
The immigration bill, which had already been approved by the upper house of parliament (Senate), was approved this morning in the lower house, the National Assembly, with 349 votes in favor and 186 against.
The legislation strengthens the ability to deport foreigners deemed undesirable and has been harshly criticized by human rights organizations because of the possibility of separating immigrant families.
The project allows authorities to issue an order for a migrant to leave French territory, even if the person falls into a category protected by current law.
Existing protections cover personal and family situations, such as people who arrived in France before the age of 13, have long-term residence in France or are spouses or parents of a French citizen.
The law will allow authorities to ignore these protections if the foreigner’s behavior is considered “a serious threat to public order,” although the bill does not explain what is meant by “serious threat” and “public order.”
The French presidency announced today that Emmanuel Macron will refer the bill to the Constitutional Council, the body responsible for monitoring the application of the Constitution in France.
Source: TSF
