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The French government approved a controversial immigration bill on Tuesday, which was praised by the far-right. 

It was a parliamentary victory for President Emmanuel Macron, though has opened deep divisions within his centrist majority. 

Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau offered his resignation in protest over the hardline bill, while others withdrew their support at the last minute. More ministers may resign. 

Far-right Marine Le Pen claimed it was an “ideological victory” for her anti-immigration platform and National Rally, now the biggest opposition force in French politics. 

Macron, like many other European leaders, wants to strike a tough stance against migration, without limiting the economy’s ability to recruit foreign workers. 

After 18 months of twists and turns, France’s Assembly voted for the incendiary bill with 349 votes for and 186 votes against. 

Last week, opposition parties refused to debate the law, with the far-right saying it did not go far enough. The left rejected tougher rules in the first place. 

In response, Macron’s centrist government put forward a much stricter bill, which toughed rules for foreign students, limited welfare payments for foreigners and made it harder for children of non-nationals to become French citizens. 

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of France’s far left, denounced Macron’s “sickening victory” secured with the support of the extreme right. 

“A new political axis has been established,” he wrote on X. 

France’s left-wing has continually claimed the text is directly inspired by the programme of Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the far-right National Front. 

The bill would have still passed if far-right lawmakers had abstained. However, the result would have been different if they had voted against it.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said the law “protected the French”, “regularised undocumented workers” and “simplified” legislation. 

Le Pen’s National Rally praised the bill, with the far-right leader praising it as an “ideological victory”. 

“It is a total victory for the ideas defended by Marine Le Pen”, added National Rally deputy Jean-Philippe Tanguy.