French parliament doubles maximum migrant detention to 90 days

The French parliament on Wednesday passed a law doubling the period foreign citizens can be detained pending deportation from 45 to 90 days.

The law was passed by 100 votes to 25 in the National Assembly, with President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party using its majority to overrule amendments from the conservative-controlled Senate.

Senators had wanted to toughen aspects of the law, but also to put a five-day limit on the detention of children whose families are facing deportation.

The European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly condemned France for detaining migrant families with children too long or in unsuitable conditions.

Earlier debates on the law saw a rare rebellion in Macron’s party, with several deputies rejecting the extended detention periods and calling for an outright ban on detaining children.