Debate about French citizenship: What does it mean to be French?

Debate about French citizenship: What does it mean to be French?

In France it is bubbling: The debate on the principle of birth for the awarding of citizenship has achieved new dimensions. Fired through the current political developments in the United States, in which President Donald Trump plans measures to abolish the so-called Birthright doctrine, Prime Minister François Bayrou does not take a leaf out of his mouth. In his recent statements, he asks: "What does it mean to be French?" And called for a comprehensive social discussion about the rights and obligations associated with French citizenship. He is not alone: ​​Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau supports him and emphasizes that it is important to respect the French way of life and republican values ​​in order to be recognized as a Frenchman.

reinforcement of the challenges for migrants

The Situation is tightened by a legislative proposal of the conservative Republicans, which was recently adopted in the National Assembly. This proposal significantly increases the requirements for the preservation of citizenship in the French overseas island of Mayotte. In the future, both parents will have to live legally in France for at least three years to ensure that their child will receive nationality. Before that, it was sufficient for a parent to have been lawfully in the country for just three months. This is already a step towards a stricter handling of citizenship, especially in an overseas context.

Marine Le Pen, the chair of the right -wing populist breed emblems, goes even further and calls for the abolition of the birthplace principle for all of France. So far, this principle has allowed all those born in France to maintain nationality, unless at least one parent is born French citizens or in France. While children from migrants who were born in France only receive citizenship at the age of 18, the debate is becoming increasingly hot, since the questions about identity and belonging are of explosiveness in the current political landscape of France. These topics are not only significant for France, but also reflect a global trend in which citizenship and its criteria are increasingly in focus, such as Krone and Time Report.