France’s Senate passed a bill on February 20, 2025, barring undocumented immigrants from marrying in the country to tighten immigration laws, sparking fierce debate. Backed by hardliners, it’s part of a rightward political shift.
The upper house approved the bill 227-110, led by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin. It now heads to the National Assembly. The law targets sham marriages and aims to block residency or citizenship loopholes.
Opposition from the left is loud. Greens Senator Melanie Vogel called it “a full-scale attack on the Constitution.” Socialist Corinne Narassiguin warned of rising “xenophobia and racism.” Critics cite a 2003 Constitutional Council ruling that irregular status can’t bar marriage.
🔴🗣« On nous tend la menace d'une loi qui serait inconstitutionnelle…
Je remarque que le risque d'inconstitutionnalité vous gêne moins quand ce matin, vous avez voté l'interdiction de se marier avec des étrangers en situation irrégulière au Sénat, pourtant contraire à une… pic.twitter.com/4IUkGg3I16
— La France Insoumise #NFP à l'Assemblée (@FiAssemblee) February 20, 2025Why France Pushes the Ban
The shift follows last summer’s hung parliament, which tilted politics right. Authorities want stricter border control. The bill responds to cases in which a northern mayor was sued in 2023 for refusing a wedding—his deportee bridegroom lost. Another mayor, Robert Menard, faces summons for a similar 2023 refusal in Beziers.
🇫🇷 ALERTE – Le Sénat VOTE l’interdiction du mariage aux étrangers en situation irrégulière, avec l’appui du gouvernement. (AFP) pic.twitter.com/FzeHg4t2yk
— AlertesInfos (@AlertesInfos) February 20, 2025French weddings occur in city halls. The ban would stop undocumented immigrants from tying the knot, closing a perceived immigration gap. Supporters say it’s about security; foes argue it’s discrimination.
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The National Assembly’s vote looms. Will it pass or falter amid constitutional clash? For now, France’s immigration marriage ban fuels a heated divide between policy and principle.
