User:Naarkorful/Immigration to France

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In the mid to late 20th century with the rise of immigration across Europe, as a result of  wars, industrialization and civil movements, France adopted a multiculturalist approach. Similar to the multiculturalist approach practiced in the US and Canada, France began to recognize how the pros of immigration outweigh the cons, especially economically. After World War 1 and World War II ruined France’s economy, the government allowed migrants and asylum seekers to come in and work as cheap labor. After WWII, France gave up on Keynesian policies and adopted new ones that were heavily focused on innovation and international competitiveness. (Du Tertre, Renaud & Largentaye, Hélène. (2017). Pluralist policies on migration and asylum seeking granted migrants willing and able to work and contribute to the growing economy  papers and rights to stay in the country, legally.

Criticism of the multiculturalist approach is that it is reductionist and views cultural identities  as homogenous instead of fluid and ever-changing. This can cause inequality by violating the individual rights of people within a culture group. (Rodriguez, 2016). The more intersectionalities one holds, the more likely they are to be discriminated against. Multiculturalist approach fails to recognize minorities within a minority group, essentially (Wihtol de Wenden, 2003). Women and members of the LGBTQ community may have more difficulty integrating as they are oppressed across cultures and this model of policy - making does not aim to question or change this within cultures.

Segregation is the complete separation of cultures and identities. When looking at such policies segregation becomes synonymous with “ghettoization” (Garcia, 2010). This is because the segregation of groups of people leads to structural and institutional inequalities.

In research done by mapping where there was a high presence of Islamic institutions, it was proven that income segregation was prominent in Paris amongst Islamic migrants. Banlieues are lower-income suburban areas of France, historically known as “religious ghettos”  occupied by African and Islamic immigrants. (Drouhot, 2020) These areas  hold  higher numbers of Islamic institutions compared to urban, more wealthier areas, which indicates a high population of Islamic immigrants.

The segregation of cultures and identities can allow for these groups to flourish without intervention from the other groups. Consequently, this could also lead to resource depravity as there is less compassion across cultures and identities (Rodríguez-García, 2010). An example of this can be seen with the creation and destruction of the Calais Jungle. The Calais Jungle was a homeless encampment located by the border of France. During the 2015 European Refugee Crisis there was an influx of asylum seekers moving into the Calais Jungle. Formerly a landfill, migrants and asylum were able to replicate an urban style of living with the establishment of stores, restaurants, schools and places of worship, while they waited for the government to determine their fate. The Calais Jungle received support from NGOs and grassroot organizations even after the French government dismantled the area in 2016. Just like the banlieues in France, the living conditions of the Calais Jungle are hazardous and unkept with high levels of state authority violence. People living in these areas with high migrant populations reported insufficient food, water and healthcare (Doytcheva, 2021)

Segregation policies allow for migrants and asylum seekers of different cultural groups to thrive independently but can institute poverty traps - making it difficult for them to integrate as people of a respected class. Migrants and asylum seekers are not seen as having the same rights as the general French population with these policies in place.

Migrants' ability to compromise under these conditions attest to their community cultural wealth. Their ability to mobilize and turn what used to be a former landfill into a thriving community shows their aspirational capital as well as resistant and social capital. (Yasso, 2005) Out of all the integration-incorporation models, intercultural policies are more accepting in recognizing the community cultural wealth brought by migrants.

History[edit]

Marginalization of Immigrants

The Constitution of France states it is illegal for the state to gather information on race and ethnicity in the census. In 2020, research was conducted by mapping where there was a high presence of Islamic institutions to prove that income segregation was prominent in Paris amongst Islamic migrants. Banlieues are lower-income suburban areas of France, historically known as “religious ghettos”  occupied by African and Islamic immigrants. These areas  hold  higher numbers of Islamic institutions compared to urban, more wealthier areas, which concludes a high population of Islamic immigrants in the area.

This segregation of cultures and identities can allow for these groups to flourish without intervention from the other groups (Rodríguez-García, 2010) as seen as well with the creation and destruction of the Calais Jungle. The Calais Jungle was a homeless encampment located by the border of France. During the 2015 European Refugee Crisis there was an influx of asylum seekers moving into the Calais Jungle. Formerly a landfill, migrants and asylum were able to replicate an urban style of living with the establishment of stores, restaurants, schools and places of worship, while they waited for the government to determine their fate. The Calais Jungle received support from NGOs and grassroot organizations even after the French government dismantled the area in 2016. Just like the banlieues in France, the living conditions of the Calais Jungle are hazardous and unkept with high levels of state authority violence. People living in these areas with high migrant populations reported insufficient food, water and healthcare (Doytcheva, 2021)

The large population of Islamic and African immigrants in banlieus has allowed for different marginalized groups to thrive independently but can institute poverty traps - making it difficult for them to integrate as people of a respected class.

History[edit]

Pre-20th Century: The 4 Communes

In 1848, France granted citizenship to its four oldest colonial towns in present day Senegal. The 4 Communes wer This assimilation model was first instituted amongst African migrants during French colonialism in the 19th and 20th century. Africans who had erased themselves of all their African identity were seen as “typical French citizen... he was expected to be everything except in the color of his skin, a Frenchman (Lambert 1993)."

Lead

According to the French national institute of statistics INSEE, the 2018 census counted nearly 9 million immigrants (foreign-born people) in France, representing 14.0% of the total population. Eurostat estimated the foreign-born population to be 9.1 million, corresponding to 14.1% of the French population as of January 2019. Source is no longer available.

According to the French national institute of statistics INSEE, the 2021 census counted nearly 7 million immigrants (foreign-born people) in France, representing 10.3% of the total population. This is a decrease from INSEE statistics in 2018 in which there were 9 million immigrants (foreign-born people) in France, which at the time represented 14% of the country's total population.

Cite: https://www.insee.fr/fr/outil-interactif/5367857/tableau/20_DEM/25_ETR

As of 2006, about 45% of people (6 million) living in the region were either immigrant (25%) or born to at least one immigrant parent (20%).

As of 2019, about

**maybe a new subsection called "Assimilation" under "Citizenship" section OR a new subsection under "Related issues" in the ASYLUM IN FRANCE article**

*a line linking asylum to assimilation* The earliest record of French assimilation policies dates back to French colonialism in Africa in the 19th and early 20th century. France aimed to replace Africa's religious and cultural diversity with "Frenchness" in order to create a more unified and secular colonial society. (Secularism was important to French identity as it was one of the driving forces of the French Revolution.)

In recent years, France's assimilation policies have marginalized certain groups, as seen with hijabis and other visible Muslims in France. Individuals who fail to assimilate are outcast, leading to difficulties obtaining a job, hardships in education, and obstacles in applying for citizenship. Such social ostracization feeds civil disobedience as seen recently amongst Muslim migrant youth, young adults and hijabis in France.