He is a professor at Sciences Po in Paris and president of the National Council for Migration and Asylum.
He was director-general of the International Organization for Migration — a UN agency — between 2017 and 2023.
He dedicated himself to the issue of migration over the course of 30 years, in government, in the national and European parliaments, and at the European Commission. He was commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs from 1999 to 2004.
He was minister of the Presidency and of National Defence from 1995 to 1997.
He holds a master's degree in Political and Legal Sciences and a degree in Law.

Last update: september 2026