Far-right leader Marine Le Pen says foreigners in France should go through a “waiting period” before benefiting from the country’s social services and that children whose parents are in France illegally shouldn’t be allowed free schooling.
Le Pen, a candidate in France’s spring presidential election, took on a prickly subject Thursday during a stroll through the Paris Christmas market on the Champs-Elysees Avenue.
The National Front leader wants to stop what she calls “massive” immigration and is urging an exit from the European Union and its common euro currency.
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Le Pen said she wants an end to free automatic schooling for children of illegal migrants and says foreigners working in France legally should pay taxes for a while before accessing social benefits.
She says national policies should “benefit the French.”