The immigration law provides, among other things, to increase the number of regularizations of undocumented workers in France.
Controversial the day after its final adoption by Parliament, the immigration law includes modifications on the regularization of undocumented workers in so-called “shortage” professions, that is to say professions with a labor shortage. .
Tuesday evening, before the adoption of the text, the Minister of the Interior affirmed that the bill, finally voted on, would make it possible to “double the number of regularizations of foreigners who work”. And to specify: Ten thousand additional foreign workers will be regularized each year.” A figure that Gérald Darmanin then took up before the Senate, mentioning between 7,000 and 10,000 regularizations per year.
In December 2022, the Ministry of the Interior published a document containing the figures for regularizations. Relayed by Libération, it was then indicated that on average, 7,000 people per year were regularized because of their work. With the 10,000 additional regularizations provided for by the new law, the total regularization of undocumented workers would therefore be around 20,000 per year.
Concretely, however, the version adopted on regularizations is more restrictive than in the past. Le Monde indicates that the new procedure consists of a residence permit valid for one year, granted on a case-by-case basis, with the condition of having resided in France for at least three years and having exercised a salaried activity of at least 12 months over the last two years. In order to submit a request, the workers concerned will not need the approval of their employer. The decision will be made by the prefects. The media recalls that these measures should be applied until the end of 2026 as an experiment.
