( CNN ) -- France has been accused of passing the problems of its long-neglected suburbs off to others , after the country 's Socialist president Francois Hollande agreed to a deal in which Qatar will invest millions of euros to help regenerate the disadvantaged `` banlieues '' of Paris . The plan , which has been met with widespread criticism from across the political spectrum , was first put forward in November last year under the tenure of former president Nicolas Sarkozy . Aneld , a group representing local elected officials who advocate for diversity in deprived areas met with Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani , the Emir of Qatar last November , to secure an investment of 50 million euros . The vice-president of Aneld , Leila Leghmara , told CNN she had regularly been approached by young people brimming with ambitious projects , but had no financial backing to see them through . The idea behind the fund is to inspire hope in the poor , troubled French suburbs with high immigrant populations . But the plans were put on hold by Sarkozy , for fear of jeopardizing his chances of re-election -- his infamous suggestion to `` clean the suburbs with a high pressure hose '' when acting as minister of the interior in 2005 had not been forgotten . The fund was given new life last week when members of Aneld met with the French industrial recovery minister , Arnaud Montebourg , who approved the plan and agreed to match Qatar 's investment , bringing the fund 's total to 100 million euros . With Qatar already having made large investments in French utility companies such as Veolia and Suez environment , as well as media group Lagardere , and more recently the purchase of French football club Paris Saint-Germain , this latest announcement of French-Qatari cooperation was met with heavy criticism by both the French left and right . Lionel Luca , the Member of Parliament for the center-right Union of Popular Movement ( UMP ) , called for a parliamentary investigation into Qatar 's `` interest '' in France in an open letter to the president of the National Assembly . `` It would not be troubling if Qatar were a secular democracy or even a non-proselytising religious state . However , this country practices fundamentalist Islam , '' Luca wrote . Nicolas Demorand , editor-in-chef of France 's left wing newspaper Liberation , questioned the motives behind the investment in an editorial . `` To see Qatar land in the French suburbs as a stand-in for a cash-strapped French Republic deserves to be looked at twice , '' Demorand mused . Marine Le Pen , head of France 's far right National Front party , whose presidential campaign played heavily on the fear of immigrants -- particularly those of Muslim origins , also weighed in with a communique titled `` French Islamic Trojan Horse , '' in which she accused Qatar of investing in the `` banlieues '' because of the high number of Muslims present there . `` These investments are in no way for humanitarian reasons , they are political and religious . It is a major political mistake to accept this and it will come at the price of our independence not only in our country but also in the context of our international policy , '' she wrote . CNN has sought comment from the Qatari government and from French government officials on the plan , but has not yet received a response . Leghmara is concerned that the fund is proving divisive as the details of how the money will be spent are yet to be decided . She argues the investment will be a huge help to all those who are out of work . With the number of unemployed in France reaching three million in August -- the highest figure since 1999 -- she believes job creation would be welcomed .
France to invest 50 million of euros to help regenerate disadvantaged suburbs of Qatar . Plan has been approved by Qatar 's President Nicolas Demorand . Scheme has come in for criticism from across the political spectrum .