France sets targets for expelling migrants. (It's the Guardian after all, so read "illegal alien" whenever you see "migrants".)
The French interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, has launched his toughest and most controversial offensive yet against illegal immigration, setting local authorities individual "expulsion targets" for the coming year.This guy can't really be French!
In a circular last week to France's prefects, Mr Sarkozy said he wanted at least twice as many illegal immigrants escorted to the border next year, and added that he would soon be writing personally to each official giving them a precise target figure for their area.
"The credibility of any public policy on immigration depends on effective execution of repatriation decisions," the hardline minister said in the circular, which was seen by the newspaper Le Figaro. He wants expulsion procedures improved and figures boosted even before a draconian new immigration bill becomes law, he said.
The hyperactive interior minister, France's most popular political figure by some margin, has made controlling illegal immigration one of his top priorities, closing the Sangatte refugee camp near Calais last year and ordering a police crackdown on any immigrants found near the Channel who refuse to apply for asylum in France.
He has already issued police with similar targets and incentives for tackling petty crime and delinquency, arguing that it is important for voters "to be able to see and measure the fact that this government is actually making the changes it promised to make".
More details and the predictable whining by following the link.
