Last updated at 18:54 20 September 2007

The lower house of the French parliament approved a bill that would allow immigrants to provide DNA samples in support of their applications to join relatives in France.

The National Assembly voted 91 to 45 to allow a trial run of DNA testing for immigrants until 2010 - a measure that critics say betrays France's humanitarian values, and that even some Cabinet ministers dislike.

"This is no longer a debate between left and right - it's a debate within our own conscience," said Patrick Braouezec, a law-maker from the opposition Communist Party.

An amendment on DNA use passed in a thinly attended, late-night session.

It is part of a broader immigration bill presented by Brice Hortefeux, a longtime friend of President Nicolas Sarkozy who heads the newly created Ministry of Immigration and National Identity.

For the bill to become law, the upper house - the Senate - also must approve it. The higher chamber is expected to take up the bill on 2 October.

The bill would allow consular officials at French embassies to request DNA tests from applicants seeking long-term visas to join their family members in France. The DNA tests would be voluntary.

The measure is aimed at proving familial ties in cases where officials have doubts about the authenticity of a marriage certificate, birth certificate or other official document presented.

Proponents say DNA tests would help speed up processing of applications.

The author of the amendment - ruling conservative party lawmaker Thierry Mariani - argued that it would give immigrants another way to support their applications.

Opponents call the measure discriminatory.

The DNA tests would be at the expense of the applicants, which Mariani estimated at about £210 each.

Another of the bill's most controversial provisions would require candidates for entry to undergo French language tests - or even receive language training before moving to France.

France, like many European countries, has been looking for ways to curb illegal immigration, mainly from Africa.

The French government has recently pressed police to step up expulsions of illegals in France.