PARIS - The French National Assembly today begins a three day debate on a controversial draft law on immigration, Lam Marlowe reports from Paris. The Debre law, named after the Interior Minister, Mr Jean Louis Debre, aims to tighten restrictions on illegal immigrants.
It has provoked national protests and petitions, particularly from artists and intellectuals. Another Paris demonstration is scheduled to coincide with today's debate.
One year before national legislative elections, immigration is the main political issue in France. The extreme right wing National Front earlier this month won a fourth French city after campaigning against immigration.
In her first interview since winning the mayor's office in Vitrolles, Mrs Catherine Megret told the Berliner Zeitung yesterday that France was in a state of emergency and that the National Front wanted to frighten immigrants.
"Our voters wanted us to scare people who don't belong,"
Mrs Megret said. She said she saw no contradiction between her grandparents being Jewish immigrants from Russia and her own anti immigration stand.