Patrick Stefanini appointed special representative of the Minister of the Interior

Former prefect Patrick Stefanini was appointed special representative of the Minister of the Interior on immigration by Bruno Retailleau, announced Place Beauvau on Friday November 29. “This appointment is part of a firm desire of the Minister of the Interior to fight for better control of migratory flows and to strengthen the security of the French”the ministry said in a press release.

The mission of the senior official specializing in immigration issues and Republican figure will focus “mainly on strengthening the readmission system for people in an irregular situation”says Place Beauvau. This appointment comes at a time when the government is required to give pledges to the National Rally to avoid censorship of its budgetary texts.

“This mission letter is part of (…) a reconquest of France’s sovereignty in matters of migration policy”commented the former Secretary General of the Ministry of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Solidarity Development (2008-2009) in an interview with Paris-Match.

According to Beauvau, Mr. Stefanini will be responsible for “the conclusion of new bilateral readmission agreements or arrangements with source countries of immigration and transit, but also the optimization of existing agreements, which may involve[eur] renegotiation ».

The objective will be to circumvent the current ban on expelling a foreigner to his country of origin if it is in the grip of war or “in the event of a risk of inhuman or degrading treatment”. “It is desirable that this removal can be done towards a third country through which the foreigner has transited or stayed”writes the Ministry of the Interior.