French parliament adopts DNA bill

Source here: news.bbc.co.uk...

A new immigration bill introducing possible DNA tests for foreigners who want to join relatives in France has been adopted by parliament.

The controversial bill was passed in both the country's National Assembly and in the Senate.

Supporters say it will speed up the process for genuine applicants and cite similar laws in other European nations.

Critics have attacked the law as racist and question the use of genetics as a basis for citizenship.

Court challenge

The bill passed by 282 votes to 235 in the lower National Assembly and by 185 votes to 136 in the upper Senate.

The bill has been hugely controversial, prompting thousands of people to take part in street protests across the country last weekend.

It sets out tougher condition for immigrants to be reunited with families in France that could include DNA tests to prove kinship.

France's Immigration Minister Brice Hortefeux dismissed the fears, saying 12 other European countries already had similar testing procedures.

The opposition Socialists say human rights principles, not genetics, should determine who can get visas, and vowed to challenge the measure in the Constitutional Court.

Socialist deputy Arnaud Montebourg said: "This law violates the fundamental principles of the republic which do not define family and affiliation by biology."

An opinion poll in the daily Le Parisien showed 49% supported the bill and 43% were opposed.

So guys what are your opinions on now having your dna checked to be a citizen? Is this some sort of new conspiracy of sorts?

I think it depends. If someone is applying for a visa on the basis of being related to a citizen, I don't think it's all that inappropriate. I know someone whose grandmother was a prostitute in WWII. She had a baby and claimed it was the son of a UK soldier that was in AUS at the time.

When the grandson wanted to get to Britain, he asked the UK soldier for papers for a UK family visa. But the fact is, nobody really knows if that's his grandson or not. But he did the "honorable" thing when told it was his grandson, and signed the papers.

Should the grandson have got the visa if he really wasn't the grandson? I don't believe so -- not if he was applying on the grounds of being someone's relative.

Thats a cool story, but yea, I wouldn't have signed the papers if I didn't know for sure. BTW, I love your sig lol, WWPD, I have seen alot of your posts, and they are pretty good and make alot of sense, your one of the smart ones here.