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Latest update: 07/03/2012
- France - French elections 2012 - Nicolas Sarkozy
Sarkozy: 'We have too many foreigners in France'
French president Nicolas Sarkozy said in a television interview Tuesday that there are too many immigrants in France, a situation that he claimed jeopardised their integration into French society.
By News Wires (text)
AFP - President Nicolas Sarkozy said Tuesday that there are too many immigrants in France, defending his re-election campaign promise to cut the number of new arrivals in half.
"Our system of integration is working more and more badly, because we have too many foreigners on our territory and we can no longer manage to find them accommodation, a job, a school," Sarkozy said.
Sarkozy has been accused of tacking to the right in the run up to the April 22 first round of the French presidential election in order to recruit voters tempted by anti-immigrant candidate Marine Le Pen's platform.
But, in a television interview, he insisted that while immigration could remain "a boon" for France in many areas, it must be controlled more tightly through tougher residency qualifications for newcomers.
"Over the five year term I think that to restart the process of integration in good conditions, we must divide by two the number of people that we welcome, that's to say to pass from 180,000 per year to 100,000," he said.
Sarkozy also announced new plans to limit some welfare benefit payments currently available to immigrant workers to those who have enjoyed residency for ten years and have worked for five of those.
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(16) Reactions
American Indians
I totally understand his concern. The American Indians felt the same way.
Too many immigrants in France Sarcozy
Just a thought :- What will he do with the immigrants in the end to reduce their numbers in France. Easy way out:- Make it easier for them to get to England Or Send them to England.
Too Many Illegal Aliens
France and the USA as well have way too many Illegal Aliens. They contribute nothing but suck the economy dry. They take jobs and put our citizens out of work and on the streets after their homes are foreclosed upon.
@ Robert. Truly friend, I
@ Robert. Truly friend, I don't think anyone in France has a problem with you.
he is right
He is right "sarkozy" and "Bruni" are not french surnames.
foreigners come to France for
foreigners come to France for one reason only: money.How many of them can you spot in museums , opera or any other place that has European culture in its principle. I wish that immigrants will go to America for that place is all about money and Europe is NOT.
Sarko
Well, if French people believe Sarkozy, they deserve what they get; ie Sarko.
Great sign
When ever a politician is desperate, he/she will always try to blame the foreigners. France's problems are fundamentals not some outsiders...
Dear Mr Sarkozy ...
I am what you would call an Immigrant. As I understand it, so are your family.
My family moved to France 9 years ago. Ironically I recall the previous President I lived under saying similar things around 1997. You might know him. Robert Mugabe?
Since then, I have founded 3 companies in your fine country, which currently directly employ 9 people on full time contracts (CDI) and a number which vary seasonly between 0 and 6 on Fixed Term contracts (CDD's)
Indirectly (if you include sub-contractors who rely heavily on our businesses and would cease to be viable if our companies closed) it is close to another 20.
Our group of companies & those that we employ paid over 500 000 Euros in direct taxation and social charges to the Tresor Public, URSAAF, REUNICA and the other social bodies JUST LAST YEAR. How much has been paid including indirect and stealth taxation is impossible to calculate.
We have also been directly responsible for bringing 70 Million Euros worth of investment into our region (PACA) by way of forming an investment group, based in France, which invests foreign (Immigrant, to you!) money in Residential and Commercial Real Estate here.
The taxes related to these investments are also incalculable, but were it all to be wound up now it is probably that it would be in the region of 40 Million Euros or more. Especially now that you have suddenly changed the laws on "Value Ajoute" on investment properties as at the beginning of this year. Which incidentally, has caused us to begin to invest these outside funds in other areas of the world instead.
Neither I nor anyone in my family have ever claimed, nor tried to claim, 1 single cent from any Public source, other than passively enjoying the benefits afforded citizens of a state such as infrastructure, police and security and such. Whether the value of these infrastructural
This has been achieved, and we continue to strive for more in the face of constant 'harassment' (and I do not use the term lightly!) from local administration, our business competitors and some local citizens, most of whom appear to strongly resent the fact that 'immigrants' are succeeding and flourishing where they are not.
So I thank you, M Sarkozy, for your well considered thoughts. It has moved us one step closer to taking advantage of pan-european agreements and laws which allow for freer movement of business assets and employment.
Kind regards to you,
An Angry Immigrant (who is of no apparent value to you)
PS. Although I spoke not 1 word of French when I arrived in this country with around 5000 Euros worth of savings in 2003, I am able to write this letter in French if I wished, however this is a French website published in English, so I am sticking to the norm.
Immigrants
The devious white Politicans Britain and Europe,always talk about immigration when its election time.PS For a matter of interest when did Sarkozy's family immigrate to France?.