Bruno Retailleau, the hardline French Minister of the Interior, has issued a confidential circular to regional prefects with a simple instruction: tighten the rules on naturalisation. For decades, France has handed out its passport to people who may speak French, but have little understanding of French history or values, and, in some cases, entered the country illegally. That era may finally be coming to an end.
Retailleau has revived the principle that nationality is not a right, but a privilege
Retailleau is hardening the assessment of who deserves French nationality, instructing regional prefects, who take the decision as to who gets a passport, to be considerably more tough. No more box-ticking. No more treating citizenship as a reward for simply being in France for five years. Under the new policy, any history of illegal immigration is grounds for refusal, even if the person now has papers. This is not some obscure administrative reform.
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