The French government has been accused of making new language tests for foreigners seeking residence permits or citizenship so difficult that even its own citizens will fail them, The Guardian reports.
A report on the impact of the new immigration law, due to come into force by the end of the year, said the tougher requirements could lead to 60,000 people being refused permission to stay in France.
The tests, which cost around 100 euros (£83.20), are part of a bill passed a year ago that would tighten border controls and measures to expel foreign migrants. Ministers say the main aim of the bill is to encourage greater integration of foreigners.
Until now, those applying for a carte de séjour – a document allowing them to stay in France – have been required to sign an “integration contract” and promise to learn French. Only those applying for French citizenship were required to take a language test.
The law requires those who apply to be proficient in French at the level of a junior high school student between the ages of 11 and 15. Those who want to apply for long-term residency or citizenship will have to demonstrate a higher level of language proficiency.
An investigation by FranceInfo showed that the required level would be difficult even for native speakers. It sent 10 French volunteers, including a literary student with five years of post-baccalaureate education, to take the tests that would be faced by those seeking French citizenship. Five failed the written test but passed the oral test, and two failed to reach the level required to obtain their own citizenship.
Félix Guyon of the Thot school that helps refugees and asylum seekers learn French said:
“The level is far too high for most foreigners who are seeking nationality or papers to stay for a long period in France.”
A report on the impact of the law prepared for the upper house of parliament, the Senate, estimated that more than 330,000 people would be affected in the first year, with around 60,000 expected to fail the language test and lose their right to stay in France.
Bruno Retailleau, the conservative interior minister, said last month:
“If a foreign person has been legally resident in France for several years and is not able to speak French it’s because they haven’t made the effort.”
The text of the document states that anyone applying for citizenship must “provide evidence of a level of language proficiency that allows them to at least understand the basic context of concrete or abstract topics in a complex test, to communicate spontaneously and to express themselves clearly and in detail on a wide range of subjects.”
Didier Leschi, director general of the French Office for Immigration and Integration, said France was merely aligning its requirements with those of neighbouring countries, including Germany. He said:
“The whole system is designed to give people a sense of responsibility and help them integrate. You have to have faith in people. They have three years to reach the minimum level and renew their residency permit.”
Marianne, who was born in Comoros but has lived in France for more than a decade where she works as a cleaner, told FranceInfo: “The problem is that I don’t have time. I didn’t study in France and I don’t have the necessary level.”
Chloé Odent, a coordinator and teacher with the association A Voix Haute (with a loud voice), said:
“There are people who speak French very well, who communicate every day at work, but who are not going to pass this exam.”
The effective date of the decree has not yet been determined. Most retirees over 65 are expected to be exempt from the exam, as are those applying for or renewing an annual visitor card.
The law, known as the Immigration Control and Integration Improvement Act, was drafted by former interior minister Gerald Darmanen and will be adopted in January 2024. Emmanuel Macron and his government saw it as a shift to the right.
