Mr Macron’s government passed a controversial asylum and immigration bill last August, despite widespread opposition. The senate had rejected the bill, but the lower house passed the text as President Macron’s La Republique En Marche party holds a large majority. Last month, the President pledged to review the policy in the hope of appeasing Yellow Vest protesters, who have been rocking the country since November 17.
The uprisings initially started in defiance of rising fuel prices but, for many protesters, it is Mr Macron – widely seen as arrogant and disconnected from rank-and-file French people – who has become the problem.
During a November 2018 episode of Conflict Zone, Deutsche Welle’s top political interview, Tim Sebastian hosted one of Mr Macron’s MPs, Alexander Holroyd.
During the interview, the journalist ferociously attacked Mr Macron’s immigration policies and told Mr Holroyd that his authorities are “breaking the law”.
Mr Sebastian fired: “According to Médecins Sans Frontières, the practice is to return migrants who cross into France from Italy, including unaccompanied children with no thought for their safety or for France’s duty to offer them protection.
“That is why, earlier in the year, the Administrative Tribunal of Nice ruled these practices illegal and suspended the refusal of entry decision against 19 minors.
“Your courts are having to do what your government should have done in the first place, which is enforce a just and fair system for these migrants, particularly the most vulnerable ones – the children.
“Your courts had to step in to tell the government this is wrong.
“Your refusal eventually to these people is illegal.”
Mr Holroyd strongly opposed Mr Sebastian’s claims and affirmed that enforcing a fair system for migrants is “precisely what that law aims to do”.
Defending Mr Macron’s policies, the French politician rebutted: “There is a desire to have more clarity to be able to be more human and efficient in the treatment of immigration.
“That includes more diversity in those who have a right to stay in France and ensuring that those who don’t have a right can return to their home countries.”
However, Mr Sebastian accused Mr Holroyd of “trying to spin what your authorities are doing”.