The NGO France Terre d'Asile, led by Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, released a study claiming that regularizing 250,000 undocumented workers would generate nearly 3 billion euros per year for the French state. Combined with other reforms, this would yield total annual savings of 3.3 billion euros. Experts, however, criticize the calculations for overlooking the true costs of immigration.
The NGO France Terre d'Asile unveiled, on November 8, 2025, in the newspaper L’Humanité, a study supporting that a more humane and effective migration policy would yield 3.3 billion euros per year to French public finances. The key measure involves regularizing 250,000 undocumented workers already present and economically integrated in France, generating nearly 3 billion euros annually through additional social contributions and income tax.
Other savings are projected: 40 million euros by stopping obligations to leave French territory (OQTF) against irregular foreigners; 219 million by drastically reducing places in saturated administrative retention centers in favor of targeted retention; and 15 million by creating dedicated spots for asylum seekers instead of using emergency housing.
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the association's president and former Education Minister, states: « Our current migration policy is a double waste: a human waste, unworthy of our Republic, and a financial waste that costs billions to taxpayers. It is time to have the political courage to align our principles of fraternity with economic efficiency ».
This study comes amid parliamentary budget discussions. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez recently estimated the number of undocumented individuals in France at around 700,000. However, Nicolas Pouvreau-Monti, director of the Observatory of Immigration and Demography, disputes these figures. In a Figaro interview, he says: « This calculation leaves me quite dumbfounded [...] The calculation by France Terre d’Asile completely ignores the reality of the costs ». According to his observatory's study, immigration costs France 3.4% of GDP per year, with immigrants having an employment rate 7 points lower than native French, failing to offset social benefits.
Pouvreau-Monti notes that regularization would overlook associated costs and long-term effects, such as increased asylum applications. « It would have repercussions both on public finances and on integration », he adds.