France to Illegal Migrants: Denounce Smugglers, Get Your Papers

PARIS, Feb. 5, 2009 — -- French Immigration Minister Eric Besson today signed a decree that will allow illegal immigrants to obtain temporary residence permits to stay in France in exchange for their cooperation in helping the police break up human smuggling networks.

"When an illegal immigrant is the victim of forced prostitution or is the subject of exploitation in shameful conditions and wishes to cooperate with administrative and judicial authorities, the possibility to obtain a temporary residence permit is offered to this person," Besson told reporters after a visit to the Paris police headquarters.

An illegal immigrant, after being questioned by the police, would have "a 30-day period of thinking to allow him to escape from the influence of his exploiters and take the decision to lodge a complaint with the police," he said.

It's only after the illegal immigrant makes this decision that he or she will receive a temporary residence permit of at least six months, renewable until the judicial proceeding is over.

"If an actual sentencing is rendered, the victim will obtain a 10-year residence permit," Besson added.

In addition to the residence permit, illegal immigrants will be offered social advantages, such as financial help.

This decree is criticized by several organizations dealing with illegal immigration.

"A call for denouncement is extremely shocking," Stephane Maugendre, a lawyer and president of GISTI, an independent nonprofit organization that supports immigrants, told ABCNews.com. "A right is going to be given to people against the denouncement of something."

The question is: Are illegal immigrants willing to cooperate, even with the promise of residence permit and the end of living underground?

This may be risky for most of these illegal immigrants.

"The smuggler will say: If you give me away to the police, I will take revenge on your family," Maugendre said. "The risk of reprisal on the family back home is evident."