Marine Le Pen says some migrants could be forced to leave France
In a 60 Minutes interview, Marine Le Pen denied discrimination in France and said migrants rejecting French laws or culture could be made to leave.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Marine Le Pen said some migrants could be forced to leave France if they reject French culture or refuse to obey its laws, while insisting the country is the world’s “least racist,” according to an interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes.
The remarks came when Le Pen was asked about “remigration” for immigrants who do not adopt what she called the French way. She said a person who says they hate France’s culture and will not respect its laws could be told to leave, adding that authorities might compel that departure.
What did Marine Le Pen say about expelling migrants?
Le Pen did not set out a formal removal plan, eligibility rules or a legal process in the interview reported by CBS. Her comments were conditional, focused on people she described as rejecting French culture and laws.
She said immigrants coming to France should join what she called the national community, rather than preserve separate customs in distinct communities. Le Pen contrasted that view with the United States, which she characterized as allowing communities to live alongside one another while maintaining their own traditions.
“Marine Le Pen expelling migrants” refers to that stated possibility of forced departure, not to a detailed proposal described in the interview.
Le Pen denies discrimination in France
Le Pen repeatedly denied that discrimination exists in France and called the country “the least racist” in the world. Those were her political assertions. CBS’ report did not provide evidence supporting them or independent data assessing discrimination in France.
When 60 Minutes contributor Trevor Phillips raised the view in immigrant communities that discrimination contributes to higher unemployment, Le Pen rejected that explanation.
She also argued that immigrants are more likely to be unemployed than French citizens and said France could no longer “import unemployed people.” CBS reported those as Le Pen’s claims, without supplying independent evidence to validate them.
Immigration at the center of Le Pen’s argument
Le Pen told 60 Minutes that admitting too many immigrants could create conditions that destabilize society. She made immigration a central part of her explanation for France’s broader problems.
CBS described Le Pen as a longtime figure in European far-right populism. In the report’s political context, it said she had made three unsuccessful presidential bids and had appealed an embezzlement conviction.
The report also said Le Pen blamed economic difficulties and people she called “extreme left” rioters for protests in France. The supplied reporting does not establish a legal mechanism, timetable or specific immigration status that would be covered by the removal comments.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.