Making immigration harder, all will pay price

For decades, France has promoted itself as a country of opportunity, education and cultural exchange. It has attracted students, workers, researchers and families from around the world, many of whom have contributed significantly to the country's economy and society.
Yet recent immigration reforms suggest that France is moving in the opposite direction. Instead of making integration easier, the government appears determined to make life more difficult for immigrants already living in the country and for those considering building a future there.
Since May 2026, the cost of obtaining or renewing a residence permit has increased significantly. According to the French government, the tax stamp required for a first residence permit has risen from €225 to €350, while renewal fees have increased from €225 to €250.
Even reduced rate permits for students and certain categories of migrants have doubled from €75 to €150 for first issuance and increased from €75 to €100 for renewals.
While government officials may present these increases as administrative adjustments, the message received by many immigrants is different: staying in France is becoming more expensive and more complicated.
The financial burden is only one part of the story. Recent reforms have also expanded language and civic integration requirements that were traditionally associated with long-term residency or citizenship applications. Historically, applicants for ten-year resident cards were required to demonstrate a B1 level of French and pass a civic integration examination. New reforms are gradually extending stricter integration requirements to additional residence categories, creating more hurdles for people who are already working, studying and contributing to French society.
The main objective seems difficult to ignore. Taken together, higher costs, stricter language requirements and additional administrative obligations create an environment that discourages people from remaining in France long term. The goal may not be openly stated, but the effect is clear.
The same logic can be seen in higher education. France has long attracted international students because it offers high-quality education at relatively affordable prices. Public university tuition was traditionally among the lowest in Europe, allowing students from diverse backgrounds to pursue degrees without accumulating enormous debt.
For the 2025-2026 academic year, non-European students were charged €2,895 per year for a bachelor's degree and €3,941 for a master's degree, compared with €178 and €254 respectively for French and European students. Recent government reforms have also restricted universities' ability to exempt international students from these higher fees. The consequences are already becoming visible. Universities that once broadly exempted international students from these fees are now facing pressure to limit exemptions. In April 2026, the University of Strasbourg announced measures affecting dozens of international students who were unable to pay the higher tuition costs.
This approach seems economically counterproductive. International students are not simply consumers of education; they are contributors to the local economy. They rent apartments, use public transport, purchase food, travel and support local businesses. Their economic contribution extends far beyond tuition fees. Countries such as Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom actively compete for international students because they recognise the long-term economic benefits these students bring. France appears to be forgetting this.
The broader debate surrounding immigration often suffers from the same contradiction. Anti- immigration rhetoric frequently portrays immigrants as people who come to exploit social services or take jobs from local workers. Yet numerous studies across Europe have demonstrated that immigrants contribute significantly through taxation, entrepreneurship and labour market participation.
The claim that immigrants 'steal jobs' is particularly misleading. Labour laws already prioritise local hiring in many sectors. Furthermore, immigrants frequently fill positions facing labour shortages, jobs that are essential to society but often difficult to recruit for. Healthcare workers, construction workers, cleaners, farmers, delivery drivers and caregivers all play crucial roles in keeping economies functioning. Without immigration, many sectors would struggle to meet demand.
What makes France's current direction particularly striking is that it contrasts sharply with developments elsewhere in Europe. Spain, for example, has recently moved towards regularising hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants, recognising their importance to the country's labour market and long-term economic growth. Rather than viewing immigrants as a burden, Spain is treating them as part of its future. France, meanwhile, seems increasingly focused on deterrence.
For immigrants already living in the country, these policies add to existing frustrations.
Residence permit appointments are notoriously difficult to obtain in many prefectures, waiting times can stretch for months. Delays in issuing renewed permits often leave people with expired documents while they wait for appointments or card collection. This creates uncertainty around travel, employment, housing and interactions with the police.