Integration of Immigrants Has Become

¶ … integration of immigrants has become one of the top challenges facing France, one of the world's most culturally and historically relevant countries. The recent riots that have shocked the entire world has shown that French immigration policies have not been working, and moreover the problem is much more wide spread than originally thought. The question on the minds of both politicians and North African Muslims is how to calmly resolve the building tension without the need for civil disobedience.

North African Muslims is the largest sector of immigrants within France, the majority of them came during the migration of World War I from such countries as Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. According to statistics, almost 25% of the total population of inner Paris are immigrants and 14% of the metropolitan area in general. There are over three million North African Muslims living in France according to recent demographic studies. The composition of North African immigrants is contrary to traditional models and the problems they face are unconventional as well. The majority of immigrants are second to third generation instead of first generation immigrants. The problem is not that they lack official status, but rather that little effort have been taken to effectively integrate them into mainstream French society. Currently there is a strong racial divide that separates and in a sense ostracizes the North African Muslim population from the rest of the France. There are no non-white telecasters on TV and within no non-white mainland MPs in government. Yet the North African population of France is hard to deny. There are over more than 1,500 regular mosques and informal places of worship throughout France. The North African Muslims have been living a mostly peaceful life, although part of French society, they are very much on the outside looking in. However, the recent developments of the outside world have forced them to reassess their position and the global negativity on Muslims in association with terrorism has placed excess scrutiny upon them. The growing religious awareness of the North African Muslim community, has combined with a renewed sense of urgency regarding retaining an ethnic identity, has fuelled a growing divide. The socio-economic disparity between North African Immigrants and mainstream French citizens have fuelled a strong racial divided that is turning the Mediterranean region into a crisis region. Two primary institutional problems contribute the growing problem of immigrant integration within France, the economic framework in which North African Muslims operate and the Political system of France which stifles political representation for the immigrant class.

The Muslim immigrants in France are facing dramatic financial hardships that focus both on unemployment and economic disparity. The majority of immigrants within this group are unskilled workers who engage in the lowest paying sector of the economy. This problem has taken effect because of two distinct causes. First, North African immigrants have traditionally been willing to work for lower wages in comparison with local French labourers which have in effect diluted the amount of money they make in low end jobs. Secondly, the racial separation makes it extremely difficult for North African immigrants to establish themselves in prestigious mainstream positions. The problem of unemployment is even more startling. The current French economy is receiving heavy blows due to the acceptance of the Euro, and its current negotiations with the EU to determine its internal economic policy. As a result, unemployment has increased dramatically over the past five years and most of that pressure has been upon the immigrant class. It is a matter of grave concern that as much as 50% of immigrants are unemployed. Since they are traditionally segregated into ethnic ghettos surrounded by the affluent society of the French mainstream, the disparity has become even more evident. As a result, North African immigrants have become even more depressed and disillusioned with the disparity in their standard of living with conventional mainstream French citizens. The problem of racial separation is another issue that has severe economic implications upon North African Muslims. Even those individuals who possess strong talents and abilities as well as education are passed up in favour of Anglo-Saxon French purely because they are more accepted on the mainstream. The economic divide is of primary concern because it has become a point of embittered debate. The average French citizen makes ten times that of the average North African immigrant. Industries such as hospitality and retail are almost completely closed to all North African immigrants, and channels of traditional education are much harder to break into for the immigrant class. All of this contributes to how much the North African immigrant class has suffered economically.

In addition to the socio-economic factors that institutionally affect immigrant integration, political participation plays an enormous role as well. Although the French government has an extremely strong democratic system, there are no MPs within congress who is of North African dissent. France's political system has done little other than fluff to attempt to integrate the North African immigrant class into mainstream society. From the educational perspective, North African demographics receive less educational funding and secondary school aid than Anglo-Saxon demographics. Additionally, agencies created to promote immigration integration such as the High Counsel for Integration have done little to promote greater immigrant immersion into mainstream French society. Foreign policy also has played a significant barrier to greater integration primarily by alienating the immigrant sector. The Islamic Salvation Front, the political party of Algeria has accused France of supporting a militant regime within Algeria as a result; there is significant political tension between the two countries. As a result, Algerian immigrants in France have felt even more alienated from French society because of these political tensions. The psychological impact of both guerrilla tactics of Algerian militant groups and other terrorism that have occurred due to this conflict has had a tremendous psychological impact. The French government has currently banned five prominent Islamic periodicals and taken away financial assistance from Islamic religious organizations. As a result, North African Muslims feel that the French government is extremely unsupportive of their efforts of integration and all of this have led to greater prolonged conflict. Without actual representation within the French government, the immigrant class cannot fully integrate without having a voice in both domestic and international politics.