A Reuters comparative briefing published this afternoon situates France within a wider European trend of hardening asylum and migration policies. The article recalls that the country’s 2024 immigration bill – which sought to restrict family reunification, welfare access and birth-right citizenship – was largely struck down by the Constitutional Council, leaving the government to rely on piecemeal decrees and extended Schengen-area border checks.
While the spotlight today is on Britain’s sweeping new asylum plan, the inclusion of France underscores how Paris is still wrestling with balancing security concerns and labour-market shortages. Since May 2024 France has renewed internal border controls every six months, a practice reaffirmed for the period 1 November 2025 – 30 April 2026. Employers complain that the ad-hoc controls create unpredictability for cross-border staff and truck drivers, especially on the Belgium and Italy corridors.
![Reuters round-up of Europe’s tougher asylum stance revisits France’s stalled 2024 immigration bill]()
Legal analysts quoted by Reuters argue that, with a fully revised immigration bill unlikely before mid-2026, the executive will intensify “sectoral” reforms – for example raising language requirements for citizenship or linking visa quotas to countries’ cooperation on deportations. Human-rights groups fear a patchwork of rules that vary by prefecture, complicating compliance for multinational HR teams.
For global-mobility managers the Reuters piece is a reminder that France’s immigration framework remains in flux: short-term assignments and posted-worker permits continue under existing EU directives, but family reunion applications may face longer scrutiny and public-order checks at prefectures close to the borders.
Companies should monitor prefectural notices and budget extra time for renewal appointments, particularly for employees whose residence depends on family ties rather than employment contracts.
While the spotlight today is on Britain’s sweeping new asylum plan, the inclusion of France underscores how Paris is still wrestling with balancing security concerns and labour-market shortages. Since May 2024 France has renewed internal border controls every six months, a practice reaffirmed for the period 1 November 2025 – 30 April 2026. Employers complain that the ad-hoc controls create unpredictability for cross-border staff and truck drivers, especially on the Belgium and Italy corridors.
Legal analysts quoted by Reuters argue that, with a fully revised immigration bill unlikely before mid-2026, the executive will intensify “sectoral” reforms – for example raising language requirements for citizenship or linking visa quotas to countries’ cooperation on deportations. Human-rights groups fear a patchwork of rules that vary by prefecture, complicating compliance for multinational HR teams.
For global-mobility managers the Reuters piece is a reminder that France’s immigration framework remains in flux: short-term assignments and posted-worker permits continue under existing EU directives, but family reunion applications may face longer scrutiny and public-order checks at prefectures close to the borders.
Companies should monitor prefectural notices and budget extra time for renewal appointments, particularly for employees whose residence depends on family ties rather than employment contracts.
