France imposes a controversial French exam on foreigners seeking a residence permit.

ParisOne year after the entry into force of the new French immigration lawNGOs warn that the law will mean thousands of non-EU foreigners will be unable to obtain a residence permit or renew it. One of the new features of the law is that foreigners will have to take a French exam to prove their mastery of the language in order to legally reside in France. Associations that work with immigrants complain that the level required is too high and will make those who fail the exam subject to deportation, even if they had previously been in a legal situation.

Before the new law came into effect, foreigners wishing to obtain a residence permit only had to attend a French course and sign a "republican integration contract" in which they committed to learning the language. Under the new law, for a first four-year residence permit, it is necessary to pass an exam equivalent to the basic A2 level, and for a long-term permit (10 years), an intermediate level equivalent to B1 is required. The requirements for obtaining French nationality have also been tightened: while until now it was necessary to demonstrate a B1 level, now it can only be obtained with a B2, the equivalent of a university level.

According to the associations, the problem lies in the fact that many immigrants seeking residence permits have low or very low educational levels. They may manage to speak French fluently, but obtaining a written French level of A2 or B1 is very complicated. "There are people who speak French very well, who use it every day at work or to go to the doctor, but who won't pass the exam. It's a source of anxiety and worry. There are people who have been here for 10 or 15 years and won't be able to renew their residence permit," said Chloé Odent, a French teacher with the association. LNA~ In the same documentary, Marianne, a middle-aged cleaning woman taking a French course, criticizes the imposition of exams. He's been living in the country for 10 years, speaks more than decent French, but struggles to write it. "I don't have time to learn French properly; I've never studied in France, and that's the problem," he laments.

Experiment among French citizens

France 2 has conducted an experiment that demonstrates the high standard of the exams. Public television gathered a dozen French people—born in France and whose mother tongue is the French language—and gave them the exam to obtain French nationality. Most are under 30 years old and have university degrees. Only one did not finish high school. Of the 10 volunteers, two failed the exam. This means they could not obtain their own nationality. Another three failed the written part but compensated for their poor results with the oral part and passed the exam. The volunteers acknowledged on France 2 that the tests "were very difficult."

The law, promoted by the then Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin—current Minister of Justice and one of the most conservative ministers in the executive–, was approved at the end of 2023 and stipulated that the new language requirements would not be imposed until 2026. But the new Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, of the conservative Els Republicans party and very close to the far-right's immigration positions, has given the order to begin implementing the exams now. "If after a few years here, a foreigner with a legal status doesn't master French, it's because they haven't made the effort," Retailleau explained.

NGOs denounce that behind the measure lies a political will to reduce the number of foreigners in the country. "I think it's delicate to use language as a political instrument to select people who are entitled to residence permits," warns Camila Ríos, founder and director of UNIR, an NGO that offers French courses for immigrants. Furthermore, to take the exams, foreigners must pay between 150 and 250 euros out of pocket. According to Ríos, many associations end up paying the exam fees because many of them cannot afford it.

Some 60,000 foreigners at risk

According to French government estimates, between 15,000 and 20,000 foreigners will not be able to obtain a four-year residence permit, and around 40,000 will not be able to obtain a long-term residence permit. In total, around 60,000—who have been in the country for years—would be subject to deportation despite having committed no crime.

France 2 has had access to documents proving that, coinciding with the imposition of the new language requirements, the government is reducing the number of free French courses for immigrants. "The number of sessions must be halved as soon as possible," states an internal document from the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII). "The French course system is collapsing; there is far more demand than supply. In theory, foreigners and asylum seekers have the right, but not everyone has access," laments Camila Ríos.