Seriously… this guy is pro-American, hard on illegal immigration, and has the recent experience of soundly beating a communist party female candidate. Exactly what we need in 2008.
Sarkozy, who was elected May 6, pledged during his campaign to create a ministry of immigration and national identity to rein in the flow of migrants and ensure they are integrated into French society. Riots in French housing projects in 2005 were largely driven by anger among children of immigrants at persistent discrimination and a feeling of alienation from mainstream society.
“The French Republic will be extremely firm. It will ensure laws are applied,” Fillon said, adding: “Naturally, these laws must be applied with the greatest humanity.”
Many saw Sarkozy’s proposal as a nod to the electorate on the extreme right, which long has made fighting immigration one of its main causes.
“Generosity is not opening wide the borders without thought for how people will integrate, how they will live, how they will subsist,” Fillon said.
Right… that’s called national suicide.
Hortefeux, in his meeting with security officials, also insisted on the need to develop a system of paying illegal immigrants to voluntarily return home, setting the number of paid departures at 2,500 for this year _ a 25 percent increase from 2006.
Those volunteering to leave, as part of a program started in late 2005, are given a fixed sum of money, normally $4,700 per couple, with $1,350 each for the first three children.
Brilliant!