French senate to vote on fast-tracking immigration processing
Today, the French Senate will vote on a bill that aims to shorten the application process for refugee status from 18 months to just six, reducing the period to lodge an application from 120 days to 90.
Beginning in 2015 following the acceptance of Syrian refugees during the ongoing Syrian Civil War, immigration laws have come to the fore of European Union Politics over the past month. New Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini’s has strengthened Rome’s anti-immigration policy by recently refusing entry to an NGO-run ship carrying over 600 migrants. Shortly thereafter German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer called for Berlin to ally with Vienna and Rome to form a migration axis at the Interior-Minister level which seeks to reverse German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s 2015 open-door migrant policy.
Though controversial amongst members of Macron’s party, this bill is likely to pass—just as a similar bill passed in April—it caters to those fearful of France bearing the brunt of migrants who continue into Europe, turned away from Italy. Expect a continued multiplicity of EU state attitudes leading up to Thursday’s migration summit.
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