A committee of MPs and senators this afternoon reached a preliminary deal on the controversial immigration bill, which is backed by the far-right National Alarm, after long and difficult negotiations.

The Joint Equal-Party Committee (CMP), made up of seven senators and seven deputies, began its work on Monday afternoon and resumed this morning, after a chaotic night, mainly due to the differences that arose regarding social benefits. It now remains for the bill to be approved by both houses of parliament, in a vote to be held in the evening.

This bill, by which the conditions for immigration are tightened, it was indicative of the difficulties President Emmanuel Macron faces in passing laws without a majority in parliament. The government had initially announced that the proposed provisions would make it easier for migrants working in sectors where there is a shortage of labor to obtain a residence permit. But at the same time, the deportation of irregular immigrants would also become easier.

But lacking a majority in the lower house after the 2022 election, and to secure support from the right, the government has agreed to progressively tighten the conditions under which some irregular migrants will be granted residence permits and make it more difficult for them to access social benefits, among others. The agreement “leans” to the right, mainly because many conservative MPs and senators participated in the committee. The left wing of Macron’s party even expressed dissatisfaction with some of the articles, which it considers too right-wing.

“I take Alka-Seltzer,” said a left-wing MP, Patrick Vinial, referring to the well-known antacid drug.

MEP Jordan Bardela, the head of the far-right National Alarm, said the tightening of immigration laws was an “ideological victory” for his party.

“Victory” is also being talked about by the conservative Republicans, who in recent years have changed their rhetoric, coming closer to the extreme right on this issue.

On the contrary, the head of the Socialists Boris Vallot spoke of a “disgrace”, a view shared by other left-wing forces in France.

The support of Marine Le Pen’s party means the bill will pass through the House and Senate, unless there are some last-minute developments.

Passing the bill, just six months before the European elections, will also give Macron a welcome boost. “This law will make our system more efficient by drastically simplifying the procedures for examining asylum applications and making it possible to deport criminals or radicalized foreigners more quickly,” Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne told parliament.

“Parliament has reached agreement on this immigration text. It is good: measures that protect the French, the necessary determination against foreign offenders and fair measures, such as the (historic) end of the detention of minors or the legalization of workers,” Interior Minister Gérald Darmanen said in a post on Platform X.

The most pressing issue concerned the minimum length of time a non-European irregular migrant had to have resided in France to be entitled to family, disability or housing benefits. The right wanted it to be set at five years but, parliamentary sources said, today’s compromise agreement makes a distinction between irregular migrants who work and those who do not: for the former a period of 30 months will apply, for the latter five years in order to receive family allowance. Working irregular immigrants will have access to the housing benefit after three months of residence in France and the unemployed after five years.

The new restrictions do not apply to international students. Refugees or those with a residence card are also exempt from all measures.