A crucial immigration reform legislation, endorsed by French President Emmanuel Macron's administration, faced defeat as Members of Parliament (MPs) from the far right, far left, and moderate right and left collectively voted against it on Monday.

The government contends that the bill is designed to regulate immigration and enhance the integration of migrants. However, the left argues that its provisions are excessively restrictive, while the right asserts that the version presented in parliament lacks the necessary toughness.

Among its provisions, the bill seeks to streamline the government's ability to expel migrants with prison sentences of five years or more and imposes stricter conditions for migrants seeking to bring family members to France.

Nevertheless, the bill is notably more lenient than a draft by the Senate, the upper house of parliament dominated by the right. The Senate's proposal would have significantly curtailed access to healthcare and benefits for undocumented migrants.

Mr Macron's hardline Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin had strongly supported the draft law. Before the vote, he said on X (formerly Twitter), that if passed, the bill would allow the government to deport "very dangerous" foreign nationals, including drug dealers.

But his efforts to convince opposition MPs to back him failed when disparate factions voted for a motion to reject the bill. MPs from the far-right National Rally joined those from the far-left France Unbowed, the right-wing Republicans, and smaller parties to defeat the government.

Before the vote, Arthur Delaporte, an MP for the center-left Socialist party, said his party would vote against the bill as it was "unjust, scandalous, and a threat to freedom".

Mr Macron's party lost its a majority in parliament in elections in June 2022. Since then, the government has frequently found itself unable to win votes in parliament.

A measure used by Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne to pass laws without a vote cannot be used to clear this draft.

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