The law passed by the parliament on Friday provides a new toughening immigration policy that makes it more difficult for migrants to bring family members to France and delays their access to welfare benefits.

It also banned detaining minors in detention centres while leaders of a third of French regions said they would not comply with certain measures in the law.

A controversial provision discriminates between citizens and migrants, even those living in the country legally, in determining eligibility for benefits.

This new immigration policy means that just like the United Kingdom which imposed a no-dependant restriction on international students in May, Nigerian students are expected to look elsewhere for their Japa plans.

The UK government’s decision came in response to the alarming surge in net migration, which has reached a staggering one million individuals.  A situation that meant Conservative MPs had to call on the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to address urgently and regain control over immigration figures.

Already, Nigerian students, who have been among the largest contributors to the UK’s international student community, have started to look at other alternatives in the Europe zone with France considered. But with this new development, their options are shrinking.

The other route – skilled worker visa,  seen as a better option to the UK, has experienced some reshuffling as well.

Earlier in December, new Home Secretary, James Cleverly, unveiled a set of new rules that raised the minimum salary requirement for obtaining a skilled worker visa from £26,000 to £38,700.

The figure itself is more than the existing median average salary of a full-time worker in Britain.

He exempted health and social care workers but said they would be prevented from bringing family dependents.

Also, overseas care workers will no longer be allowed to bring dependents (partners and children), while migrants have to pay a 66 percent NHS surcharge increase.

According to Cleverly, all of these were done to ensure immigrants “bring dependents whom they can support financially”

Apart from France and the UK, the government of Canada in December announced that starting from January 2024, international students must show a new proof of funds,  ₦16,050,000.0000 ($20,000).

The new cost is more than double the current requirement of $10,000, an amount brought in during the early 2000s that has not been adjusted since.

For 2024, a single applicant will need to show they have $20,635, representing 75% of LICO, in addition to their first year of tuition and travel costs.

The government however announced the extension of the waiver on the 20-hour per week work cap for international students until April 30, 2024.

This extension applies only to students already present in Canada and those who submitted a study permit application as of December 7th, 2023.

The measure was first introduced on November 15, 2022, and was set to last until December 31, 2023. It allows students to work more than the usual 20 hours per week while class is in session.

The bilateral agreement was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Catherine Colonnade, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.

The I-DISE program is an initiative of the Federal Government, led by the Office of the Vice President, and is designed to promote entrepreneurship and innovation within the digital technology and creative industry sectors.

The primary focus of the program is on job creation and supporting young Nigerians in creating sustainable employment opportunities, developing high-value industries, and contributing to the growth of the Nigerian economy.

The program will provide training to two million young individuals and encourage them to establish their own ecosystem through access to funding for innovative businesses and startups.

The program is being financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (ISDB), and the Bank of Industry (BOI).

The AFD is contributing 100 million euros (equivalent to $116 million) out of the program’s total value of $600 million.

The I-DISE program will also receive support from the private sector and institutional investors, with the Bank of Industry serving as the Implementing Agency responsible for day-to-day project coordination.

Catherine Colonnade expressed her gratitude to all partners and co-financers, emphasizing that the ambitious program’s purpose is to support young entrepreneurs and innovators, promote the employability of Nigerian youth, and boost the capacities of the country’s digital technology and creative industries.

The program is expected to involve nearly two million youth in training sessions, with 40% of them being women.

It aims to create more than 65,000 startups, generate 150,000 direct jobs in the technology and creative industries sectors, and create approximately 1.3 million indirect jobs.

Bosun Tijani, who represented the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, highlighted the government’s commitment to boosting the employability of young people by focusing on careers in the digital, cultural, and creative industries.

He welcomed the French government’s collaboration in advancing technological advancements for the benefit of Nigeria’s startup ecosystem, noting the AFD’s contribution to the I-DISE program aligns with France’s historical commitment to startup growth.

Tijani emphasized that the program is in line with AFD’s strategy to promote skill development and enhance entrepreneurial training in these high-potential sectors.

“We have immobilised … 150 million euros in individual’s accounts, credit lines in France and in French establishments, ” Le Maire told French television as Paris hits Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Furthermore, “we have immobilised 539 million euros in real estate on French territory, corresponding to some 390 properties or apartments and we have sequestered two yachts (with a value of) 150 million euros,” said Le Maire.

“In total that is (almost) €850 million in assets belonging to Russian oligarchs which have been immobilised on French soil,” he added.

The French crackdown means the owners are unable to, sell on or monetise their assets.

Notwithstanding, “they are not seized in the sense that the state becomes the owner and could then sell them on. For there to be seizure there has to be a penal offence”, Le Maire stipulated.

“The sanctions are hitting Russia, the state, Vladimir Putin hard,” Le Maire went on.

Since Russian began its war in Ukraine on February 24 Western states have responded with a wide-ranging package of stiff financial sanctions.

On Friday, Russia’s central bank said the extent of the sanctions would make macroeconomic forecasting “extremely difficult”.

Four days after the invasion began Moscow hiked its main interest rate from 9.5 to 20 per cent and the response to the conflict has largely cut Russia’s financial sector off from the global economy.

Macron said this to reporters on Friday after a European Union leaders’ meeting at Versailles Palace outside Paris.

“Europe and also Africa will be very deeply destabilised as regards food because of what can’t be planted right now in Ukraine,” Macron said.

“We will have to prepare for that and re-evaluate our production strategies to defend our food sovereignty, but also to be able to define a strategy concerning Africa,” he added.

Macron said that without strategies concerning Africa, several countries would be affected by famines within 12 to 18 months precisely because of the war. The French leader added more economic punishment would be piled on Russia if it continues invasion of its neighbour.

“If things continue in a military way, we will take further sanctions, including massive sanctions,” he said, trailing a G7 statement on potential further measures “in a few hours”.All options are on the table,” he added after EU nations have held off in the first weeks of the conflict from cutting off crucial oil and gas imports from major supplier Russia.

The move comes a few days after Turkey summoned the ambassadors of the U.S., Germany, France, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden over their joint statement calling for Kavala’s release on the fourth year of his detention.

“The continuing delays in his trial, including by merging different cases and creating new ones after a previous acquittal, cast a shadow over respect for democracy, the rule of law and transparency in the Turkish judiciary system,” the joint statement said. “Noting the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights on the matter, we call for Turkey to secure his urgent release.”

Kavala has been in detention without a conviction since 2017. He was acquitted on charges last year related to the 2013 Gezi Park protests. The verdict was overturned, and new charges were brought against him for his alleged involvement in the 2016 attempted coup.

Erdogan has now placed the ambassadors of the ten countries as ‘personal non-grate. Persona non grata literally means “an unwelcome person.” “I gave the necessary instructions to our minister of foreign affairs,” Erdogan said in a speech over the weekend, October 24.  “I told him what to do. I said that you will deal with these 10 ambassadors being declared persona non grata as soon as possible.”

The Turkish president added the ambassadors should leave the country if they do not understand Turkey. If the country’s Foreign Ministry takes the order, it can move forward with the process without further approval paving the way for their expulsions.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry called the joint statement is “irresponsible” and said it rejected what it called attempts to influence the court system. Last week the Turkish president criticized the countries calling for Kabaka’s release, labelling him a terrorist.

“Who are you? What is it? Leave Kavala. Do you leave the bandits, murderers, terrorists in your own country?” Erdogan said to journalists on Thursday. “Why do 10 ambassadors make this statement? Those who defend this [George] Soros leftover are trying to get him released. I told our Minister of Foreign Affairs that we cannot afford to host them in our country. Is it your place to teach such a lesson to Turkey?”

Reacting to the move, European Parliament president David Sassoli tweeted that the expulsion of ambassadors is a “sign of the authoritarian drift” of the Turkish government.

“We will not be intimidated,” he said. “Freedom for Osman Kavala.”

The Austrian Foreign Ministry says it “deeply regrets” Turkey’s announcement to declare then 10 ambassadors “persona non grata.”
In a tweet Saturday, the ministry called for a “fair and timely resolution” of Osman Kavala’s case and for the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights’ judgments.

On Wednesday, September 15, U.S. President Biden joined British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in announcing the creation of an enhanced trilateral security partnership, called “AUKUS”, which involves sharing highly sensitive nuclear submarine technology with Australia.

The White House said “As the first initiative under AUKUS, recognizing our common tradition as maritime democracies, we commit to a shared ambition to support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy. Today, we embark on a trilateral effort of 18 months to seek an optimal pathway to deliver this capability. We will leverage expertise from the United States and the United Kingdom, building on the two countries’ submarine programs to bring an Australian capability into service at the earliest achievable date.”

The announcement of the partnership is widely perceived as a challenge to China’s authority in the region and the Chinese embassy quickly responded to the news.

“Exchanges and cooperation between countries should help expand mutual understanding and trust,” Countries should do more things that are conducive to solidarity and cooperation among countries and regional peace and stability. Meanwhile, they should not build exclusionary blocs targeting or harming the interests of third parties. In particular, they should shake off their Cold-War mentality and ideological prejudice.” the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. said in a statement

But France blasted the US and UK for not involving it in the deal.

In a statement issued by French Minister Of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian and Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly, the country said the decision announced on Wednesday “is contrary to the letter and spirit of the cooperation that prevailed between France and Australia, based on a relationship of political trust as well as on the development of a very high-level defence industrial and technological base in Australia.”

“The American choice to exclude a European ally and partner such as France from a structuring partnership with Australia, at a time when we are facing unprecedented challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, whether in terms of our values or in terms of respect for multilateralism based on the rule of law, shows a lack of coherence that France can only note and regret,” the statement continued.

The statement went on to call the announcement “regrettable.”

“The regrettable decision that has just been announced regarding the FSP program only reinforces the need to make the issue of European strategic autonomy loud and clear,” the joint statement said. “There is no other credible way to defend our interests and our values in the world, including in the Indo-Pacific.”

France added that it is the “only European nation present in the Indo-Pacific with nearly two million citizens and more than 7,000 military personnel.”

These essential workers include security guards, checkout assistants and other frontline workers. Marlene Schiappa, junior interior minister in charge of citizenship, said over 16,000 people had applied for a French passport over the past year under a special scheme.

She noted that the scheme sped up the application process for workers in essential services, allowing them to apply for citizenship after just two years in France, instead of the usual five.

Of these, 12,012 became French, she said.  Among the other categories of employees eligible for the scheme are garbage collectors, home-care providers and nannies.

‘These frontline workers were there for the nation. It is normal that the nation makes a gesture in their favour,’ Schiappa said in a statement.

In 2020, a total of 61,371 people got French citizenship.

It is ‘the biggest ever fine’ imposed by the Competition Authority for a company’s failure to adhere to one of its rulings, the agency’s chief Isabelle De Silva said.

The long-running legal row focuses on claims Google has been showing articles, pictures, and videos produced by media groups when displaying search results without adequate compensation

In a ruling published on its website, the Competition Authority also ordered the US internet giant to present media publishers with ‘an offer of remuneration for the current use of their copyrighted content’, or risk paying additional damages of up to £750,000 a day.

A Google spokesperson said in a statement to AFP that the company was ‘very disappointed by the decision.

“We have acted in good faith during the entire negotiation period. This fine does not reflect the efforts put in place, nor the reality of the use of news content on our platform,’ the company insisted. This decision is mainly about negotiations that took place between May and September 2020. Since then, we have continued to work with publishers and news agencies to find common ground”

In April 2020, the French competition authority ordered Google to negotiate ‘in good faith’ with media groups after it refused to comply with a new EU law governing digital copyright.

This was to ensure that news publishers are compensated when their work is shown on websites, search engines, and social media platforms.

But last September, news publishers including Agence France-Presse (AFP) filed a complaint with regulators, saying Google was refusing to move forward on paying to display content in web searches.

France has 5,100 troops in the Sahel region and has helped in the war against Islamist militancy but Macron has warned of the risk of Mali “moving towards” greater Islamist influence if there is no democratic government in place.

For decades France has provided military support to its former colonies in Africa but has told regional leaders that France had no intention of keeping its troops in Africa forever.

Macron is also annoyed by a lack of commitment from other European countries to fight the multiple militant Islamist groups in the region as Europe could be affected by possible jihadist attacks on the continent and illegal migration.

Last week, France and the European Union denounced an “unacceptable coup d’etat” after Mali’s interim President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane were detained and stripped of their power. Coup leader Colonel Assimi Goïta was then named transitional president by the constitutional court on Friday.

Macron speaking to Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper said “Radical Islamism in Mali with our soldiers there? Never. There is this temptation today in Mali. But if it goes in that direction, I will withdraw”

The World Happiness Report, which was launched in 2012, is an annual survey conducted by the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The survey ranks global happiness in countries around the world.

The happiness index included surveys on how countries have dealt with the coronavirus pandemic that has shaken the world for more than a year.

On this year’s report, Iceland came in second, followed by Denmark, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

See the World’s 20 Happiest Countries.

Finland

Iceland

Denmark

Switzerland

Netherlands

Sweden

Germany

Norway

New Zealand

Austria

Israel

Australia

Ireland

United States

Canada

Czech Republic

Belgium

United Kingdom

China

France