Globalaffairs

Issue 5/ October - November 2007
By Lionel Kpenou-Chobli

The debate between France and its former colonies, particularly those of Africa is aggravated for long months by the new policy of immigration envisaged by the president Sarkozy Nicolas since its passage to the Home Office. We will try to analyse the perception of this policy of “chosen immigration” in Benin, country traditionally connected to France and were President Sarkozy delivered his speech-program on immigration in 2005.

Benin was a French colony from the end of the 19th century to 1960. The country had the reputation to be the “Latin district of Africa” and as such supplied numerous civil servants to the colonial administration. Both countries kept very important links on political, economic and cultural areas. Numerous Benineses (around 500.000) live in France. Most of the Beninese leaders and elites made their studies in France and their children follow the same route. Everybody in the main cities of Benin have a relative, a friend in France. The French is the working language and the French culture is much spread. Generally, during the big sports events for example, people support the French teams as if it was their own national squad.

Beninese (settled) in France transfer a great deal of resources towards the country. They finance the education within their family, the expenses of health and insure a decent pension for their parents. That is to say that the dream to immigrate to France is widely shared within the population. However young persons at a loose, the students or even civil servants hope to join the hexagon at the first opportunity.

The consulate of France in Cotonou does not empty and already at 5 am in the morning you observe an impressive line of people who want to access there. The applicants are looking for student’s visa or apply for a regular procedure for the family entry and settlement or the migration has professional purpose. In other words, Benineses are very attentive and sensitive to the modifications of rules for immigration.

In 2004, Beninese were particularly shocked that French Home secretary, in order to justify his firmness and his will to re-base policy of immigration, publicly used the example of the Beninese doctors in France. Indeed Nicolas Sarkozy asserted loud and clear that it was not acceptable that there are in France more Beninese doctors than on the Beninese ground.

In front of reactions provoked by these comments and further to bilateral discussions, Mr Sarkozy made at the end of 2005 a tour in Africa with as main stage Benin. In front of the governmental authorities and deputies, he tried to explain his point of view and to discuss. It is the origin of the famous speech of Cotonou in which he defines the main lines of his policy concerning immigration.

Presenting the concept of “chosen immigration” and insisting on his will to limit the migratory stream from Africa towards France, Mister Sarkozy had stormy exchanges with the Beninese authorities in particular Albert Tevoedjre, former United Nations Deputy Secretary General. Mr. Tevoedjre talked to the Minister about the responsibility of France in the situation of economic underdevelopment of Africa. Disputing the term of chosen immigration, Professor Tevoedjre made a real lesson of history and sociology on the relations between France and Benin concerning immigration.

By demonstrating that most of the Beninese in France are in regular situation and that doctors about whom Mister Sarkozy speaks are in fact bi-national, he defused most of the French Minister’s thesis.

The debate with deputies was not easy. A number of them demonstrated the responsibility of the western countries in the massive exodus of the African towards Europe. For others, the debate was somewhere else. Only a strategy for the acceleration in the economic development would allow to check the brain drain and to build a durable Africa.

Surprised by the quality and the intensity of the debates, Nicolas Sarkozy said himself however happy to have been able to confront the ideas of the Beninese leaders. It is in this logic that he maintained the contact with the authorities for a detailed dialogue. On the other hand, during his movements in the city of Cotonou, he was seriously played up as well by the women of the market as by the students to whom he wished to speak. The incomprehension was real with the young people who considered themselves deprived of future if Sarkozy closed them the doors of France.

It is after his return of Benin, that the candidate for the presidency Sarkozy began to sweeten his bill on the immigration notably by introducing the term of co-development which introduces the idea of a north-south partnership for the migratory control but also increased cooperation in the fields of education, health and the promotion of investments.

This new concept includes an important participation of the nationals of the signatory country and gets them advantages. The immigrants in France would benefit from a legal frame for the transfer of money but also from facilities to transfer knowledge and technology to their countries of origin. Whereas the applicants for immigration would apply for a new card called “Talents et Competences” with the aim at learning and perfecting in France for a maxima of 6 years and then go back and settle in their countries.

They would have the obligation to return to their country to put these new skills in the service of the development. Elected President of the Republic in May 2007, Mr Sarkozy quickly sent his Minister of Immigration and National Identity in Benin to negotiate and sign in August 2007 the first agreement on immigration and the co-development.

The first sectors to benefit from it will be education and health (possibility for doctors and Beninese male nurses to obtain a visa to go to work and to enrich their knowledge in France). So an important project of decentralized cooperation is discussed and would facilitate eventually permanent missions of education and medical care between French and Beninese regional hospital complexes.

The agreement on immigration and co-development was signed in a much calmer climate than during the visit of Mr Sarkozy in 2005 and Minister Brice Hortefeux said himself satisfied and confident of the relation between France and Benin. However, the Beninese public opinion remains watchful and sensitive to the variations of French laws on immigration. The agreement came along with a budgetary support of 5 millions euros.

If the climate and the dialogue are more confident between Benin and France, if the agreement on immigration was signed in good conditions, Beninese generally remain shy in reports on the policy of Mister Sarkozy and will not hesitate to say it. According to them, France cannot manipulate on one side the leaders and on the other hand maintain its reign on the most lucrative domains of the economy and natural resources with a very limitative policy of immigration toward the population.

Globally, we shall notice that Benineses are very sensitive at the bottom but also to the shape which takes and will set the new French policy of immigration. In other words, they estimate that they have rights and intend to be respected. On the other hand, they also ask the relevant and determining question of development, that is to say the creation of durable conditions which will allow offering infrastructures, employment and healthcare to the candidates in exile.

In the end, it is interesting to see that the relation between France and its former colony remains fascinated but also confident and that Beninese are very decided to keep a watchful and critical eye on what is made in immigration .The opposite ideas did not prevent the conclusion of a pragmatic agreement between both parts. Today Benin is a part of precursors of the agreements of co-development and nobody really speaks more about Beninese doctors in France who had so much aroused of debate.

Lionel Kpenou-Chobli
Graduated in Law, Political Science and Public Administration and postgraduate in Accounting and Management

Global Affairs is not liable for author’s opinion