France's National Assembly has passed a controversial immigration law that has exposed unprecedented divisions in President Emmanuel Macron's young centrist party, reports FRANCE 24.
After 61 hours of debate, the measure was approved in a vote of 228 in favour, 139 against and 24 abstentions. It passed largely with the support of Macron's Republic On The Move (LREM) party.
But one LREM deputy, Jean-Michel Clément, rebelled and announced that he was quitting the president's party after casting a no vote on the proposed law.
Opposition to the measure was found across the political spectrum with lawmakers of both the right-wing and leftist parties voting against it, as well as the far-right National Front.
The lower-house of the French parliament was supposed to vote on the bill Friday, but the fractious debate stretched into the weekend due to more than 1,000 amendments proposed by deputies.
More than 200 of the changes were suggested by LREM members as Macron's own lawmakers openly challenged his plans to double the maximum time migrants can be held in detention to 90 days.
The government had defended the bill as balanced, but it has been criticised by rightwingers for being too soft and by leftwingers who see it as repressive.
Interior minister Gérard Collomb said it aims for "better controlled" immigration, halving the waiting time for asylum applications to six months while also making it easier to deport those turned down as "economic" migrants.
Accepted refugees will be given more help to integrate, such as better access to work and French lessons.
Many leftwing opponents lashed out in parliament at measures to keep asylum seekers awaiting deportation, including children, in detention for up to 90 days.
"Nothing justifies locking up a kid," said socialist deputy Hervé Saulignac.
The bill also reduces the time that asylum-claimers have to lodge their application from 120 to 90 days and gives them two weeks to appeal if unsuccessful, which NGOs say is not enough to gather more evidence in support of their claim.