This past Thursday the French National Assemble approved a proposal which authorizes DNA testing to verify if foreigners applying for visas are telling the truth about being kin to the families they intend to meet in France. This proposal has brought up a lot of controversy regarding human rights. Many human rights groups are up in arms and outraged at such an attempt. It is basically a means of minimizing the number of immigrants from Africa and the Middle east who are trying to gain passage. While many feel that this proposal crosses moral lines President Nicolas Sarkozy defends it by saying "The DNA tests will be voluntary tests." Parliament memberThierry Mariani explains that it is a "sure and rapid" way to deal with document fraud. What many human rights activists foresee is that these DNA tests will be almost forced upon immigrants whose documentation seems less than credible to French authorities. They will be pressured into submitting DNA tests for fear of being rejected if they do not. Others who oppose the proposal make the point that under this legislation families with stepchildren or adopted children etc...would be intelligible to enter the country simply because they are not biologically related to their family members.
I do see how this would be a useful way of preventing document frauds from entering France. In this way I think the proposal is good and makes sense. However, I really do not think it is ethical to require a DNA test of immigrants who already are providing heaps of documentation to prove their identities to get into the country and be with their families. First of all, it is rather insulting to have them provide every document that proves their relations and existence...all that was asked of them, only to have to fork over a fortune for a DNA test which probably would confirm what they have already provided. How many hoops should they have to jump through?! It also is pretty skeezy that France appears to be targeting Africa and the Middle East with this new proposal. If they have their documentation like everybody else than they ought to be permitted to enter without submitting body matter to the French Embassy. One of my first thoughts when I began reading this article immediately turned to matter addressed on blended families with adopted and step family members. They obviously did not think about that one. The family view has changed so much over only a few decades it is ridiculous to use DNA testing as a means of proving relations. What can these people do under this new condition? Fork over more documents and paperwork? It would certainly tell the embassy a lot more about their paternity or maternity to an adopted child than any damn DNA test. Honestly, if someone is bad ass enough to forge all this elaborate documentation to get into a country then they deserve a pat on the back and a grand welcoming into the country!
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