Paris: The French parliament has passed a bill aimed at restricting birthright citizenship in its overseas department of Mayotte. The legislation, which was adopted on Tuesday, seeks to impose stricter residency requirements for parents in the French Indian Ocean archipelago, located between the coast of Mozambique and the island of Madagascar.

According to Anadolu Agency, the bill was proposed by the conservative Republican party and has garnered support from the governing coalition and far-right deputies. However, it faced opposition from leftist members who viewed it as an 'attack on the principle of equality.' Under the new law, for children born in Mayotte to obtain French nationality, both parents must have been legally residing in France for at least one year, a significant change from the previous requirement of three months for one parent.

The primary objective of the legislation is to alleviate migratory pressure on Mayotte, which has been experiencing significant immigration from the neighboring Comoros. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou highlighted the immigration challenges in Mayotte earlier this year, describing the situation as 'submersion.' He pointed out that Comoros migrants make up an estimated 25% of the population in Mayotte, underscoring the scale of illegal immigration that the bill aims to address.