Au revoir: Sarkozy cracks down on illegals in France
posted at 1:57 pm on September 1, 2006 by Allahpundit
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Stricter visa requirements, an assimilation-or-deportation policy, even financial incentives to encourage illegals to return home. It all seems so … unfamiliar, actually.
Sarkozy’s immigration crackdown has been inspired by worries that many newcomers are not integrating — as witnessed by three weeks of riots in France’s poor, immigrant-heavy neighborhoods last fall — and by broad concerns that immigrants poach welfare benefits and jobs in a country where unemployment hovers around 9 percent.
Those fears have long been the domain of the extreme-right, but Sarkozy says mainstream politicians must not shy away from them.
The government has offered payments to illegal immigrants who agree to return home, such as $6,300 for a family of four with young children. Sarkozy championed a new law that makes it harder for foreigners to bring their families here, but easier for those with special talents.
Angering human rights groups, he pledged to deport families of illegals unless they could prove their school-age children had strong ties to France. By an August deadline, the Interior Ministry received almost 30,000 applications from people hoping to stay. Sarkozy said authorities expected to approve only 6,000.
French leftists respond with protests — on airplanes.
Meanwhile, Karol’s got the scoop on what’s happening in Italy. This one does sound familiar, God help us.
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Is our military going to have to go in there and bail them out again?
Long Island Pete on September 1, 2006 at 2:06 PM
I guess we can figure out whose mom slept with a German.
Iblis on September 1, 2006 at 2:33 PM
France needs this, but I don’t think they’ll follow through to the extent they need to. Islam is taking over Europe and particularly France and I see this move more as delaying the inevitable for them.
As for the “the job George Bush should do comment”… Right, with the exception of the line about paying the illegals to go home.
Where’s The Drifter, I’m sure he’ll have something to say…
RightWinged on September 1, 2006 at 2:37 PM
American Revolution
Rochambeau
In 1780, Rochambeau was given the rank of Lieutenant General in command of 5,000 French troops and sent to join the American colonists under George Washington fighting the Kingdom of Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War.
He landed at Newport, Rhode Island, on July 10, but was held there inactive for a year, owing to his reluctance to abandon the French fleet blockaded by the British in Narragansett Bay. At last, in July 1781, Rochambeau’s force finally left Rhode Island, marching across Connecticut to join Washington on the Hudson River. There then followed the celebrated march of the combined forces and the siege of Yorktown. On September 22, they combined with the Marquis de la Fayette’s troops and forced Marquess Cornwallis to surrender on October 19.
Rochambeau’s behaviour has been celebrated: he had placed himself entirely under Washington’s command and handled his troops as part of the Continental Army. In recognition of his services, the Congress of the Confederation thanked him and his troops and presented him with two cannons taken from the British. These guns, with which Rochambeau returned to Vendôme, were requisitioned in 1792.
Lafayette
When this lad of 19, with the little English he had been able to pick up on his voyage, presented himself to the Congress with Deane’s authority to demand a commission of the highest rank after the commander-in-chief, his reception was chilly. Deane’s contracts were so numerous, and for officers of such high rank, that it was impossible for Congress to ratify them without injustice to Americans who had become entitled by their service to promotion. La Fayette appreciated the situation as soon as it was explained to him, and immediately expressed his desire to serve in the American army upon two conditions—that he should receive no pay, and that he should act as a volunteer.
General Pershing is said to have declared upon his arrival in France during the First World War, “Lafayette, we are here!” (Lafayette, nous voilà!), suggesting that the United States was repaying its debt for his assistance during the Revolutionary War. However, this attribution is apocryphal, and was actually said by Lieutenant Colonel Charles E. Stanton at the tomb of La Fayette, in the cemetery Picpus in Paris, July 4, 1917.
How’s about a little show of gratitude, like our fathers, which seemed to have been far more courteous than you, could muster.
THeDRiFTeR on September 1, 2006 at 2:57 PM
Oh, and hello RightWinged!
THeDRiFTeR on September 1, 2006 at 2:58 PM
BTW, all of the above was gleaned from wickipedia.
THeDRiFTeR on September 1, 2006 at 3:01 PM
A practice Canada has adopted since Trudeau. Immigration based on education, financial means, etc… Of course, refugee law hasn’t (nor should) change.
A natural course of action in any society based on the rule of law.
What I don’t understand is why RightWinged should think I would think otherwise.
Having said all of this, I would like to point out that the overwhelming majority of the people affected by this policy are African Christians. Islamofobes need not get a hard on.
THeDRiFTeR on September 1, 2006 at 3:16 PM
THeDRiFTeR
How about staying in this century and if you get your facts from an encyclopedia that can be edited, I would suggest looking elsewhere.
Long Island Pete on September 1, 2006 at 3:28 PM
Bonsoir Drifter,
Oui, oui, all you write, even if from Wikipedia, is true. There was an entire show a while ago on C-Span, by a prominent older American historian (who’s name escapes me now), about all the historical contributions the French made to our country.
All agreed to and I appreciate that you try, in a polite way, to attain some balance on this board. Of course there are the contributions our country made to France, which the older French appreciate too.
In general, however, that was then and now is a dire picture of people to people relations. State to state is still very good, though to placate the French populace the politicians keep the ‘dealings’ and support under wrap.
Entelechy on September 1, 2006 at 3:30 PM
My point, Long Island Pete, is that his information is freely available. Even you have access. I got my education elsewhere.
THeDRiFTeR on September 1, 2006 at 3:34 PM
Oh, and our armies didn’t bail France out in this century.
THeDRiFTeR on September 1, 2006 at 3:35 PM
Yeah, it’s only been 60 years since we saved their bacon last century. It’s not like it’s been 230 is it TD?
We’re only six years into this century… just give it a wee bit more time.
SilverStar830 on September 1, 2006 at 4:04 PM
It’s a pretty simple equation:
No employment = boredom = bitterness/civil unrest toward the government.
Welfare = boredom = bitterness/civil unrest toward the gov’t = import of illegals to do the jobs the welfare takers would/should do.
So eliminate immigration (illegal or otherwise) while simultaneously eliminating welfare for the able bodied.
Work or starve! Then try to plan your BS against the gov’t after a hard day’s work!
NTWR on September 1, 2006 at 5:10 PM
Frogs on a plane! Where’s Sam Jackson when you need him?
Kid from Brooklyn on September 1, 2006 at 6:53 PM
I never implied you’d think anything one way or another… but sense you told us you live in France the other day, I simply said “Where’s The Drifter, I’m sure he’ll have something to say…”
RightWinged on September 1, 2006 at 7:18 PM
Ah the French, a perfect subject for a day not to be taken so seriously ……..
The French bring out such emotions with so many in the US – Love, Hate, Admiration, Scorn, perceptions of Honor and then cowardace. It reminds me of a married couple that are deeply in Love, but have been married so many years they have so much history together they hate each other (or do they?).
Love and Hate, two sides of the same coin. Competitors one moment in history and allies the next. Loathing at the mere thought of the other’s national leader one moment in history and overjoyed celebration in the next moment.
All of this reminds me of a girlfriend I once had – same story Love/Hate, “Yes I want you, no I don’t”.
The point is that despite the shortcomings each sees in the other we are deeply ingrained in each others past, present, and future. Perhaps we should keep this in mind when considering the French and give them a shake of the head, a groan, a smile, and remember that they are our brothers and sisters.
omegaram on September 2, 2006 at 1:40 AM
THeDRiFTeR
I dont consider information that can be edited to someones liking to be factual.
And what I meant by this century, is the last 100 years, not the last 6.
Long Island Pete on September 3, 2006 at 12:57 PM
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