Staff Reports
A new poll out of France has turned the polite Parisian argument about migration into a full‑blown national demand. Consumer Science & Analytics (CSA), for Le Journal du Dimanche along with CNews and Europe 1, reports that 83 percent of French adults back what the poll calls “negative immigration” — the idea of sending back foreigners judged to be criminals, long‑term unemployed, or otherwise a social burden. If true, that is not a whisper from the fringes. It’s a roar from the street.
Poll Shows Overwhelming Support for “Negative Immigration”
The headline number is stark: 83 percent in favor. The splits are almost as striking. Young voters aged 18–24 reportedly back it at about 90 percent. Seniors, the usually cautious voters, are at roughly 87 percent. Even many left‑leaning voters gave majority support. That is unusual in a country where migration has long been a touchy moral debate among elites. These figures make clear that voters across age and class want stricter immigration and more deportations — not just talk.
EU Return Hubs Give Politicians a New Tool — Macron Says No
At the same time Brussels has quietly handed national leaders a new option: EU rules now allow member states to sign agreements with third countries for return hubs to process and deport migrants. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed the change as validation of her tough approach. President Emmanuel Macron publicly rejected using such hubs for now, saying they clash with French values. Translation: Paris the city remains sentimental, while Paris the country is shifting hard to the right.
Political Stakes: National Rally Riding the Wave
This poll lands squarely in the political fight over next year’s presidential contest. President Macron is leaving office at term limit and the National Rally is polling strongly. Whether Marine Le Pen herself runs, or her party’s leader Jordan Bardella steps up, a huge public push for deportations hands the RN a clear theme to run on. Expect opponents to call it cruel while voters call it common sense. That split is exactly where populist parties do best.
What This Means and Why Conservatives Should Care
Conservatives should not be shy about this. When more than eight in ten people say they want tougher deportation policy, that is a mandate to act — and a flashing sign that the elites who oppose it are out of touch. Yes, we should still ask for the poll’s methodology and question wording to be sure the numbers were not skewed. But don’t let a request for technical notes become an excuse for paralysis. Law, order, and secure borders are popular. Politicians who ignore that will pay at the ballot box, and rightly so.
