His tenure was characterized by a stronger fight against illegal immigration and human trafficking. While a guest on a French TV show, Besson described the immigration policy as based on "firmness and humanity". An immigration bill was presented in 2010 that prolonged the detention period of illegal immigrants, penalized employment of illegal immigrants, and called on immigrants wishing to acquire French citizenship to adhere "to the essential principles and values of the republic". Furthermore, Sarkozy gave the immigration ministry a target of 30,000 repatriations per year.