Macron pushes to send migrants to French countryside, labels plan an ‘opportunity’ during ‘demographic transition’

Macron is pushing for “better distribution” of foreign nationals across France, particularly in “rural areas, which are themselves losing population,” and where “we will have to close classes, probably schools and colleges.” The French leader then claims that these migrants will be better received in these more rural areas.

“The conditions for their reception will be much better (in rural regions) than if we put them in areas that are already densely populated, with a concentration of massive economic and social problems,” he said. Macron said he wanted to relocate migrants in particular to “rural areas that are losing population” and described it as “a tremendous opportunity” within the framework of a “demographic transition.”

However, attempts to move migrants to rural regions has already been met with fierce opposition across France. As Remix News reported earlier this year, a plan financed with millions of euros from the wealthy Cohen family is designed to place 70 refugees into the quaint French town of Callac. The family has described their desire to create what they describe as a multicultural “Noah’s Ark of modern times.” However, the decision has been met with fierce opposition from the town’s locals with protests and calls to hold a referendum on migrant relocation plans. The Cohen family, undeterred by such opposition, has since expanded their project to a wide variety of French countryside towns, with the French government’s financial support.

A citizen’s initiative looking to block the proposal wrote a letter to the town’s mayor describing why they stood in opposition:

“The objective would be to repopulate a small ‘aging’ town with migrants, to revitalize the town center and to develop economic activities. Migrants would therefore be supervised, housed, and trained, and 70 jobs would be found for them.

The arrival of 70 non-European families would totally upset the life of the municipality and the canton. Thirty-eight non-French-speaking children would be educated at the Callac school and divided into classes. This would further complicate the task of teachers.

How can you impose on the people of Callac such a project that calls into question the identity of our population and before the real cost of the project is determined?”

The citizens opposed to the plan also pointed to already high unemployment rates in their own town, and asked why jobs would be found for migrants when there are not enough jobs currently for those already living there.