29,796 - a magic figure for Brice Hortefeux

That's the total number of illegal immigrants "expelled" from France last year, as announced by the minister of immigration, Brice Hortefeux, on Tuesday.

The figure was higher than the "target" - yes there really is such a thing here in France - set by his big boss, Nicolas Sarkozy, and represented a 26 per cent increase over the previous year.

"I'm proud to have respected and applied the law," said Hortefeux.

During the course of a one-hour press conference, he provided a long list of figures and statistics which as far as he was concerned were proof that the government's policy to crack down on illegal immigration was working.

"The fight against illegal immigration of course takes place within the realms of respecting an individual's fundamental rights," he said.

"For the first time in a generation, the number of illegal immigrants in France is on the decline," he added.

Of course groups involved in fighting for the rights of illegal immigrants or those here "sans papiers" were far from being in agreement with Hortefeux's message.

And they also cast some doubt on whether the claim that there were now fewer illegal immigrants in France was accurate.

Exact figures on how many people are living and working illegally here in France are reportedly hard to come by, and estimates range from 200,000 - 400,000.

Perhaps the feelings of many of Hortefeux's detractors - and there are plenty of them - were best summed up in the words of the humourist, actor and political commentator, Stéphane Guillon, in his rather cutting assessment during his broadcast on national radio France Inter.

"It's much better than the objective set by Nicolas Sarkozy, which was 28,000*," he said.

"Brice managed 1,796 extra expulsions. Everyone applaud. Please......It's proof that sometimes there are things the government does, that work....let's be fair," he added, no less critically.

Tuesday's press conference was probably Hortefeux's last in his current job.

Hortefeux himself wasn't too keen on the job he was given when Sarkozy came to power in May 2007.

A long-time friend and close ally of the French president, Hortefeux took over the newly created ministry in June 2007.

He has come in for plenty of criticism during his tenure, especially for pushing through government legislation in October 2007 to approve voluntary DNA testing of would-be immigrants seeking to join their family here in France.

But now he's expected to replace Xavier Bertrand as minister of employment - another contentious and delicate social policy portfolio - in a mini cabinet reshuffle this week.

Bertrand is stepping down from the government to take over the leadership of the governing center-right Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (Union for a Popular Movement, UMP) party.

Hortefeux's likely replacement as minister of immigration is Eric Besson - a former Socialist party member and advisor to Ségolène Royal during her 2007 presidential bid, until the two fell out.

*some reports say the "target" was actually 26,000