As in most European countries, migrants and refugees are at the center of heated public and political debates in France. But these debates are taking place in national contexts that may vary greatly from one country to another. In the case of France, they highlight a series of paradoxes in the country’s relationship with immigration.
Paradox 1: one of the oldest countries of immigration in Europe but not a major destination for immigrants in relation to population size
France has a longer history of immigration than most other countries on the European continent. German artisans as well as Belgian, Italian and Polish workers flocked into France from the beginning of the 19th century until the Second World War, alongside refugees from Armenia, Eastern Europe, Germany or Spain. Following WWII, a growing number of persons arrived from the former French colonies then in the process of decolonization. Migration relationships were first established between the former colonial power and a few North African countries, and subsequently with states in sub-Sahara Africa.
Despite the historical significance of immigration, France now has one of the lowest numbers of newly arriving immigrants relative to its population among OECD countries. In terms of absolute numbers, France remains among the top five countries of destination in Europe, but the trends observed in other western European countries are far more pronounced. In recent years, international students have constituted the largest immigrant flow, followed by family reunification, mostly to join French nationals. Since 2015, asylum seekers and refugees have represented a growing share of the immigrant population. Gradually, they are reshaping the profile of immigration, as they are coming from countries – such as Afghanistan, Sudan or Bangladesh – that have no colonial ties with France.
