The newly formed Ministry of Immigration and National Identity in France, created by recently elected President Nicolas Sarkozy, has just said no to the concept of mass legalization for undocumented immigrants.

Brice Hortefeux, Sarkozy’s longtime confidante who was named by the conservative President to head the new department, . . . maintains that “It must be carried out in respect for the dignity of those who want to come and [in a way] that favors their integration.”

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President Sarkozy, who was elected in a hotly contested race against liberal candidate Segolene Royal on May 6, is attempting to reconcile competing interests between the anti-immigrant far right and certain industries such as hotel and restaurant businesses, which traditionally rely heavily on immigrants for employment.