A fresh opinion survey released at midday on 28 January shows that a solid majority of the French public would support the temporary suspension of most categories of legal immigration that Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin floated at the weekend. The CSA poll of 1,010 adults, conducted online on 27–28 January for CNEWS, Europe 1 and the Journal du Dimanche, found that 67 % of respondents favour putting new family-reunification visas and standard work permits on hold for “two or three years,” while 32 % are opposed and 1 % are undecided. Support is broad-based—69 % of women, 64 % of men and clear majorities across every age cohort back the idea—although political leanings shape attitudes: 96 % of National Rally voters approve versus 34 % on the Green left.
The poll lands only three days after Darmanin told the television channel LCI that France needs a “breathing space” to re-examine its integration model and that he would like to see an Australian-style quota system decided by referendum once the freeze ends. Business lobbies and universities warn that a blanket moratorium would undermine construction projects linked to the 2026 Winter Youth Olympics and drive international students to competitor countries, but the findings suggest that the minister’s message is resonating with an electorate unsettled by record net migration of 384,000 in 2025.
For global-mobility and HR teams, the numbers are a red flag that immigration could become a centre-stage election issue well before the 2027 presidential race. Even if a formal suspension is constitutionally difficult, the Interior Ministry could use existing discretion to tighten labour-market tests, slow processing or cap regional visa allocations in the interim. Employers that depend on non-EU talent—especially in technology, healthcare and seasonal agriculture—should therefore audit upcoming assignments, file renewals early and explore intra-company transfer routes that might be carved out as “strategic exceptions.”
![CSA poll finds 67 % of French voters back a 2-3-year pause on legal immigration]()
Amid these shifting requirements, organisations and individuals can ease the compliance burden by turning to VisaHQ, which offers real-time updates, document verification and end-to-end application support for all French visa categories. The service’s digital dashboards allow HR teams to track status changes instantly and adjust plans if new quotas or procedural hurdles emerge. Full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/france/
The poll also underscores the need for better messaging around economic migration. Nearly three quarters of 18-to-24-year-olds surveyed back a freeze, despite youth unemployment hovering at 17 %. Mobility managers may find it harder to secure public and political support for skill-shortage visas if companies cannot demonstrate clear upskilling or localisation plans for French workers.
Finally, the survey hints at potential pressure on the new Immigration Law of 2024, parts of which the Constitutional Council already struck down. Should the government move towards quotas, statutory amendments—and perhaps another Council review—would be inevitable, injecting further uncertainty into permit categories such as the Passeport-Talent and EU Blue Card. Contingency planning and proactive stakeholder engagement should therefore top the agenda for mobility leaders over the coming months.
The poll lands only three days after Darmanin told the television channel LCI that France needs a “breathing space” to re-examine its integration model and that he would like to see an Australian-style quota system decided by referendum once the freeze ends. Business lobbies and universities warn that a blanket moratorium would undermine construction projects linked to the 2026 Winter Youth Olympics and drive international students to competitor countries, but the findings suggest that the minister’s message is resonating with an electorate unsettled by record net migration of 384,000 in 2025.
For global-mobility and HR teams, the numbers are a red flag that immigration could become a centre-stage election issue well before the 2027 presidential race. Even if a formal suspension is constitutionally difficult, the Interior Ministry could use existing discretion to tighten labour-market tests, slow processing or cap regional visa allocations in the interim. Employers that depend on non-EU talent—especially in technology, healthcare and seasonal agriculture—should therefore audit upcoming assignments, file renewals early and explore intra-company transfer routes that might be carved out as “strategic exceptions.”
Amid these shifting requirements, organisations and individuals can ease the compliance burden by turning to VisaHQ, which offers real-time updates, document verification and end-to-end application support for all French visa categories. The service’s digital dashboards allow HR teams to track status changes instantly and adjust plans if new quotas or procedural hurdles emerge. Full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/france/
The poll also underscores the need for better messaging around economic migration. Nearly three quarters of 18-to-24-year-olds surveyed back a freeze, despite youth unemployment hovering at 17 %. Mobility managers may find it harder to secure public and political support for skill-shortage visas if companies cannot demonstrate clear upskilling or localisation plans for French workers.
Finally, the survey hints at potential pressure on the new Immigration Law of 2024, parts of which the Constitutional Council already struck down. Should the government move towards quotas, statutory amendments—and perhaps another Council review—would be inevitable, injecting further uncertainty into permit categories such as the Passeport-Talent and EU Blue Card. Contingency planning and proactive stakeholder engagement should therefore top the agenda for mobility leaders over the coming months.
