France’s prime minister has called for a national debate on “what it means to be French” as the country considers whether to end “jus soli” or birthright citizenship.

François Bayrou demanded action after a wave of immigration into Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, put the issue in the spotlight.

Earlier this week, he asserted that France was “flooded” by immigrants, provoking howls of protest from the Left-wing opposition.

The centrist’s call for a national immigration debate came after Gérald Darmanin, the justice minister, suggested on Thursday that the constitution should be changed to end current citizenship rights granted to people born in France, known as “jus soli” or “right of soil”.

The prime minister said discussion on that topic alone would be “too narrow”, calling instead for a wider debate about citizenship. “It’s obvious that this question has been fermenting for years,” Mr Bayrou told broadcaster RMC.

“What does it mean to be French?,” asked Mr Bayrou. “What rights does it give you? What duties does it demand of you? What advantages do you get? What do you commit to when you become a member of a national community?”

He did not elaborate on what form such a debate would take but said that, regardless, it should not be “postponed forever”.