Macron gets tough in French asylum crisis

FRANCE has unveiled tough plans to lock up failed asylum seekers and other illegal migrants for longer then deport them more swiftly. It follows a huge rise in arrivals by foreigners, many of whom quickly disappear into the black economy.

President Emmanuel Macron says the nation is ‘overwhelmed’. It received a record 100,000 asylum requests last year and nearly half the applicants live on the streets.

His draft bill will cut the application time to six months from the current one-year-plus. It will also let officials incarcerate those not allowed to stay for 135 days until they are deported. The current 45day limit lets many carry on living rough. The time allowed for appeals will also be halved to just 15 days.

Detention for those caught with no papers will rise from 1 to 24 hours and illegally crossing French borders will become an offence punishable by one year in jail.

Opponents say the bill, which still needs the approval of parliament, is aimed at appeasing supporters of the far-right National Front.