France: Sarkozy pushes ahead with new immigration plan.

Expatica ^ | 03/29/06 | AFP

[Pikamax]

Sarkozy pushes ahead with new immigration plan

PARIS, March 29, 2006 (AFP) - French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday presented to the cabinet a new immigration law intended to encourage economic migrants and tighten rules on bringing relatives into the country.

Under the law, which now makes its way though parliament, foreigners "whose personality and talent are considered assets for France's development and influence" will qualify for a three-year residence permit.

"Out of every nine people who want to immigrate to France today, eight do it for family reasons and only one for economic reasons. Like in other European countries, the idea is to alter the balance," said government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope.

Under the proposed law, a foreigner living in France can be joined by his family after 18 months -- and not one year as the rules currently state -- and only if he is in work and not living on state hand-outs.

In order to combat marriages of convenience, residence permits will be issued to foreign spouses only after three years.

In addition the system under which illegal immigrants automatically get a residence permit after ten years in France is ended.

"We cannot be the only country in the world which does not choose who has the right to come here. I want French immigration to be chosen immigration. It can't be held against me that I want the best to come here, and not just people who can't get in anywhere else," Sarkozy told Le Parisien newspaper.

[CheyennePress]

Sounds exactly like what we should be doing. Secure the border, allow a guest worker program, and focus on bringing immigrants into the country who are going to make it on their own and not drain the state. Same thing goes for those who will bring something to our economy: you'd think we'd be focusing on bringing over immigrants from Eastern Europe and Asia who receive top quality educations, but it seems many of them have a tough time getting over here. I spoke to a Romanian engineer, and she finally got over here after waiting and trying for 5 years.

[Savage Beast]

Closing the barn door--just a little bit less than WIDE-OPEN--after the horse is long gone.

(Maybe it'll make 'em feel a little better for a little while.)

[raybbr]

...you'd think we'd be focusing on bringing over immigrants from Eastern Europe and Asia who receive top quality educations, but it seems many of them have a tough time getting over here.

There's really no surprise why we aren't.

We are now one of the largest Spanish-speaking nations in the world. We're a major source of Latin music, journalism and culture.

Just go to Miami, or San Antonio, Los Angeles, Chicago or West New York, New Jersey ... and close your eyes and listen. You could just as easily be in Santo Domingo or Santiago, or San Miguel de Allende.

For years our nation has debated this change -- some have praised it and others have resented it. By nominating me, my party has made a choice to welcome the new America.

As I speak, we are celebrating the success of democracy in Mexico.

George Bush from a campaign speech in Miami, August 2000.

You can read the speech here.

Here is an excerpt of a good critique of that speech:

In equating our intimate historic bonds to our mother country and to Canada with our ties to Mexico, W. shows a staggering ignorance of the civilizational facts of life. The reason we are so close to Britain and Canada is that we share with them a common historical culture, language, literature, and legal system, as well as similar standards of behavior, expectations of public officials, and so on. My Bush Epiphany By Lawrence Auster

[DoughtyOne]

I really don't understand the idea that we close the border then allow half of Mexico to walk in through our border check-points with a guest-worker permit.

We have tens of millions of people here now, and that isn't enough? How many tens of millions do we need anyway? 50 million? 100 million?

What the hell is wrong with our nation that we can't get along without swamping it?

Close the damned border. Shut the damned gates. Let things settle for a decade or so and then allow more in in limited numbers.

Do you realize that if we allow the 15-30 million to stay, it will only be a matter of time before their immiediate family members will be allowed to join them?

Think about that, and what the implactions are for our nation.

[raybbr]

Do you realize that if we allow the 15-30 million to stay, it will only be a matter of time before their immiediate family members will be allowed to join them?

Don't forget the anchor babies.

[DoughtyOne]

You're right.

[raybbr]

In all this talk about guest workers no one mentions the babies. Where I work whenever there is a new hispanic woman hired she gets pregnant withing six months.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

I agree.