The examination of this bill was to begin in the Senate in October, "the week of the 10th", a government source told AFP.
It will finally be replaced in October by a "big debate" on the subject in the National Assembly and the Senate, "before a finalized bill is presented", announced the Minister of the Interior in an interview with the Figaro.
"We have a proposal for a legislative text, but for such a subject, two months of consultation are not too much", he justified.
Previously, the minister will organise, "at the request" of Ms. Borne, "from the end of August and in September", a "consultation place Beauvau on the basis of our proposals, with all the parties, the social partners, the associations and the representatives of civil society," he said.
It is a change of calendar and method, it was explained in the entourage of the minister, on the offensive on this theme since the beginning of the summer.
A government source assured AFP that there was no disagreement between the Prime Minister and Mr. Darmanin and that they had taken the decision together.
It was "too fast" to be able to "deal with all the subjects and consult properly", added a source close to government circles.
SOS Racisme was delighted with this report, "a welcome reframing" of the Prime Minister, according to the association.
Since the beginning of July, Gérald Darmanin has multiplied the declarations on this highly explosive theme between the right and the left.
In Le Monde, on July 9, he announced that he wanted to complete the immigration section contained in the orientation and programming bill of the Ministry of the Interior (Lopmi). Among the provisions cited was the possibility of expelling “any foreigner” who “committed serious acts”.
Last week, change of procedure, before the announcement of a specific text on immigration, distinct from the Lopmi which would have become a sprawling text.
All accompanied by an acceleration of the calendar since, last Wednesday, the president of senators LR Bruno Retailleau was pleased to have obtained that the bill be examined first in the Senate.
- Will intact -
But, in July, the government was able to experience the difficulty of finding compromises by having only a relative majority in the National Assembly in the face of noisy and mobilized opposition.
Such a text would certainly have inflamed the Palais Bourbon even more at a time when the crucial financial texts (general budget and social security budget) must be adopted before the end of the year.
In his interview with Le Figaro, Mr. Darmanin cited the various measures he intends to propose, some of which are already known, such as conditioning a residence permit on "obtaining a certificate proving mastery of French and acceptance of the values of the Republic".
Or the abolition of provisions prohibiting the expulsion of delinquent foreigners (marriage, arrival in France before the age of 13).
Last week, he said he was "assuming a form of double punishment" for delinquent foreigners, namely punishment and then expulsion.
To demonstrate that his will is intact in this area, Mr. Darmanin sent a note to the prefects on Wednesday so that places in detention are reserved as a priority for foreigners in an irregular situation who are responsible for disturbing public order.
In his interview with Figaro, he added new proposals: expulsion decision pronounced "as soon as the asylum application is rejected", "sharp reduction in the number of applicable procedures" in terms of expulsion to reduce the time for appeal and simplification of the "rules of litigation for foreigners".
Gérald Darmanin also wanted to speed up the dematerialization of the files of immigration candidates to eliminate the queues in front of the prefectures.
Regarding economic immigration, he said he was ready, with the Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt, "to imagine additional quotas by profession or by sector in tension", such as the hotel industry, construction or catering. Such a debate launched in 2019 by Edouard Philippe had remained a dead letter.
