Gerard Darmanin has toughened his stance as he prepares a run for the presidency

French Justice Minister Gerard Darmanin has proposed a near-total halt to legal immigration for up to three years, as he prepares to take on the right-wing National Rally in next year's presidential election.

Speaking to French broadcaster LCI this week, Darmanin said that he supports "a suspension of immigration for two or three years, with a corresponding increase in wages so that the jobs that foreigners do at very low cost go to French citizens." 

After the moratorium, he proposed introducing a "quota system," and holding a referendum to decide the number of immigrants allowed into France in the future.

There are nearly 4.5 million legal immigrants in France, accounting for more than 8% of the adult population, according to figures from the country's Interior Ministry. An additional 700,000 migrants are believed to be living in France illegally. According to an opinion poll cited by The Times, 80% of French voters support tougher immigration policies.

National Rally leader Jordan Bardella is currently leading all opinion polls for next year's presidential election, with former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal of President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party a distant third. Bardella has labeled immigration a threat "to the very existence of France," and has promised that his first act as president would be to hold a referendum on immigration.

Darmanin is a member of Macron's party. He told LCI that he considers himself "presidential material," and called on his party to hold a primary election to choose a candidate to take on the National Rally.

Darmanin drafted an ambitious immigration reform bill in 2023, which would have introduced strict quotas, ended family reunification and birthright citizenship, and barred most immigrants from accessing social benefits.

However, these provisions were stricken from the text by France's Constitutional Council. The version signed by Macron the following year allowed illegal immigrants in certain industries to obtain work permits, while simplifying the deportation process for others.

Despite uproar from the right-wing voters he is now trying to court, Darmanin said that he would not introduce another bill on the subject.