Immigration: France Expels 13,000 Illegal Immigrants
Morocco Times (Casablanca), Sept. 13
France Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, said that “13,000 undocumented immigrants have been expelled in eight months,” and he is now committed to sending 10,000 more illegal foreigners home before the end of 2005, reported the Moroccan daily Assabah on Tuesday.
He urged the police authorities to work hard to meet this goal.
In a meeting with police officials, Sarkozy said that “France managed to expel 12,842 by the end of August,” adding that “so far, we have succeeded in achieving 56% of the hoped-for total of 23,000,”
In 2004, France expelled 18,000 foreigners.
Sarkozy has refused all the attempts made by different humanitarian associations and communities, explaining that “the European Court of Human Rights does not allow people to live wherever they like,” added the Moroccan daily.
“Some countries refuse to cooperate with France in this respect, namely Belarusia, Cameroon, Egypt, Georgia, Guinea, Pakistan, Serbia and Sudan,” stated the same source.
“France, in return, will limit the quotas of visas given to citizens coming from these countries and wishing to go to France,” warned Sarkozy.
The immigration census in France shows that some 200,000 undocumented immigrants are living in the country, coming especially from Africa, North Africa and China.
