French hails results on deportations

November 08, 2007

French minister Brice Hortefeux said Thursday his government's immigration policy was not just about expelling foreigners but included a wider strategy to come to grips with the thorny problem of illegal immigration. He announced 18,600 foreigners had been deported in the 10 first months of 2007 and that 34,000 others had been stopped from entering France at the country's airports, ports and borders. The increased surveillance is part of a larger policy pledged by Nicolas Sarkozy during his campaign for the presidency earlier this year.