Recently, there has finally been a new development in the French immigration bill.
On 19 December, the French National Assembly adopted the draft immigration law by a vote of 349 in favor and 186 against.
Source: LaPresse
What will be the impact of the latest policy on the French student community?Let's take a quick look at it with Mr. Xiaoxin
Good news!The room allowance for international students is reserved
For international students in France, the most important concern is the issue of housing supplement.
The latest bill adopted on 19 December elaborates and amends the item on "social welfare", which stipulates that foreigners should be distinguished by "whether they are employed or not", that is, foreigners who are employed in France can enjoy social benefits after 30 months of residence;Foreigners who are not employed will not be able to receive benefits until after the five-year period.
This law does not apply to international students, asylum seekers and non-EU foreigners who have been detained for more than 10 yearsThat is to say,After arriving in France, international students can still enjoy the housing allowance in accordance with the regulations, and there is no five-year time limit.
*: Official website of the French Senate.
International students have to pay a deposit?!
However, there are also some new measures in the new immigration bill that have attracted everyone's attention.
The latest law states:When applying for a residence permit, international students are required to pay a deposit to France** to prevent students from staying in France illegally or coming to France under the pretext of studying abroad.
Students who are financially disadvantaged or have high academic results may be eligible for relief, details of which have not yet been announced.
This deposit will be refunded when the student visa expires and leaves France to return to the country of origin, or if you change another legal status.
*: Official website of the French Senate.
However, this new policy has sparked a lot of controversy and opposition. The presidents of a number of French public universities, including the Sorbonne, Strasbourg and Paris-Saclay University (there are currently 61), signed a statement of opposition.
In addition, the leaders of the three business schools, HEC Paris, ESSEC and ESCP, also condemned the bill.
*: Union of French University Rectors.
They argue that such a measure would seriously jeopardize the attractiveness of French higher education and research, and that it would not be in line with the fundamental values of openness and freedom of French universities, that access to knowledge "cannot be subject to such restrictive and unwarranted economic obstacles" and that international students "are the wealth of our country".
France's Minister of Higher Education and Research, Sylvie Rettayo, even submitted her resignation to Macron, citing "deep disagreements" about the measures in the new immigration law that affect university students. However, her request to resign was denied.
Amid an uproar in the higher education community, France** has tried to clarify the scope of this measureFrench Prime Minister Elisabeth Bornet said that the proposal to collect deposits from foreign students would not be ruled out "revisited".
Therefore, there are still great uncertainties as to how this policy will be implemented in the end.
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