France’s Immigration Language Test Aims To Exclude Foreigners: Report

By Staff, Agencies

France’s newly imposed language proficiency tests for foreign residents and citizenship applicants have sparked widespread criticism, with many arguing that they are intentionally set up to ensure failure—even for native French speakers.

An investigative report by French media revealed that the test’s difficulty level is so extreme that even well-educated French citizens struggle to pass.

To prove this, ten French volunteers—including a literature student with five years of higher education—were subjected to the same test required for nationality applicants.

FranceInfo's test revealed shocking results: five failed the written test but passed the oral exam, while two couldn't reach the language level required for nationality.

Foreigners seeking French residency must now prove language proficiency equivalent to an 11- to 15-year-old student, changing the previous requirement of signing an integration contract.

Those applying for long-term residence permits or citizenship will face even stricter language requirements.

The recent anti-immigration law includes harsher border controls and more aggressive policies to expel migrants, including excessively difficult tests costing around €100 for applicants.

A report presented to the upper house of parliament, the Sénat, estimated that over 330,000 people would be subjected to the new regulations in the first year alone.

Shockingly, about 60,000 are expected to fail the language tests, leading to the revocation of their right to remain in the country.