In a prime-time interview on France 2 on the afternoon of 9 October 2026, former prime minister and Horizons leader Edouard Philippe unveiled one of the most restrictive immigration platforms yet seen in the current presidential race. Speaking barely six months before the first round, the centre-right politician said France should “return to the pre-2010 framework” and cut the annual number of new residence permits from roughly 400,000 to “well below 200,000”. He argued that the pressure of arrivals was “saturating public services” and undermining social cohesion, while insisting that carefully targeted labour-migration channels would be preserved. The most controversial plank is a proposed five-year “moratoire” on immigration for family reunification—today the second-largest category of long-stay visas. Philippe acknowledged that the right to family life is protected by the European Convention on Human Rights, but suggested that France should work with other states on an additional protocol allowing tighter interpretation. Legal scholars immediately questioned whether such a move could survive scrutiny by the European Court of Human Rights. Business groups reacted with caution. MEDEF, the main employers’ federation, warned that an indiscriminate cut could aggravate chronic shortages in construction, hospitality and elder-care, sectors already heavily reliant on non-EU workers. Philippe sought to reassure corporate France, stressing that an expanded “immigration de travail” track—possibly modelled on the existing Passeport Talent—would remain open for occupations facing demonstrable shortages. For mobility managers the proposal, if enacted, would radically reshape long-term workforce-planning. Companies could face tighter quotas, longer processing times and new compliance audits designed to prove positions cannot be filled locally. Family-reunification freezes would also complicate expatriate packages, as many multinationals rely on that route to bring in spouses and dependants. HR directors are already reviewing assignment policies and may need to budget for extended family-support benefits or alternative visa pathways. The political calendar is tight: a full bill could not be tabled until after the election, leaving corporates little clarity before mid-2027. Still, the rhetoric signals that immigration will dominate the French campaign and that employers should start scenario-planning now, especially for critical 2027–30 projects that assume steady inflows of foreign talent.
Source: Boursorama/AFP
