The French National Assembly has approved in first reading a bill that would extend administrative detention for irregular immigrants deemed dangerous, reviving a measure struck down by the Constitutional Council last year.
The legislation, tabled by conservative MP Charles Rodwell, passed by 345 votes to 177 on May 5, 2026. The text will now go to the Senate, with a session expected in mid-May, according to French media.
The bill would allow authorities to hold foreigners subject to deportation orders for up to seven months, provided they have been convicted of serious crimes carrying sentences of at least three years’ imprisonment. Offences covered include rape, torture, aggravated kidnapping and armed robbery.
A similar measure had been adopted by the Assembly in July 2025 but was censured a month later by the Constitutional Council. That earlier version had also covered offences such as drug trafficking and threats against teachers.
The latest initiative was prompted by the killing of student Philippine Le Noir de Carlan, whose body was found in September 2024. The suspect, an undocumented Moroccan citizen, had previously been convicted of rape and was released before being placed in pre-trial detention pending deportation.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the case continued to weigh on the country.
“What happened is a tragedy. The role of the State is to protect French people: the Republic must give itself the means to act and prevent this from happening again,” he said.
Lecornu added that the most dangerous profiles, “those who pose a threat to public order”, could be held for up to 210 days under the new rules to facilitate their final removal.
“Obligations to leave the territory must be enforced. Without exception,” he said.
The bill marks a renewed attempt by the French Government to tighten controls on irregular immigration following the high-profile murder.
The Constitutional Council had previously ruled that holding immigrants for extended periods solely on grounds linked to public order overstepped what was permissible under the French constitution, prompting Rodwell to redraft his proposal with a tighter focus on serious criminal convictions.
Immigration has remained a central concern for France and other EU member states, with several governments pushing for tougher rules at national level alongside the European Union’s pact on asylum and immigration agreed in 2024.
If passed by the Senate, the law would represent one of the toughest detention regimes for irregular immigrants in Western Europe, in line with calls from right-wing politicians across the bloc for stricter enforcement of removal orders.
