Immigration To France
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According to the French National Institute of Statistics INSEE, the 2021 census counted nearly 7 million immigrants (foreign-born people) in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, 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. The area with the largest proportion of immigrants is the Parisian urban area (Greater Paris), where almost 40% of immigrants lived in 2012. Other regions with important immigrant populations are
Rhône-Alpes Rhône-Alpes () was an administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it is part of the new region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the river Rhône a ...
(Lyon) and
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (commonly shortened to PACA), also known as Région Sud, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France, located at the far southeastern point of the Metropolitan France, mainland. The main P ...
(Marseille). The Paris region is a magnet for immigrants, hosting one of the largest concentrations of immigrants in Europe. 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%). Among the 802,000 newborns in metropolitan France in 2010, 27.3% had one or both parents foreign-born, and about one quarter (23.9%) had one parent or both born outside of Europe.Naissances selon le pays de naissance des parents 2010
, Insee, septembre 2011
Parents born in overseas territories are considered as born in France. Including grandparents, about 22% of newborns in France between 2006 and 2008 had at least one foreign-born grandparent (9% born in another European country, 8% born in Maghreb and 2% born in another region of the world).Les immigrés, les descendants d'immigrés et leurs enfants
, Pascale Breuil-Genier, Catherine Borrel, Bertrand Lhommeau, Insee 2011
In 2014, the National Institute of Statistics (INSEE) published a study reporting that the number of Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian immigrants in France between 2009 and 2012 has doubled. This increase resulting from the
financial crisis A financial crisis is any of a broad variety of situations in which some financial assets suddenly lose a large part of their nominal value. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many financial crises were associated with Bank run#Systemic banki ...
that hit several European countries in that period, has pushed up the number of Europeans settled in France. Statistics on Spanish immigrants in France show a growth of 107 percent between 2009 and 2012, i.e. in this period went from 5,300 to 11,000 people. Of the total of 229,000 new foreigners coming to France in 2012, nearly 8% were Portuguese, British 5%, Spanish 5%, Italians 4%, Germans 4%, Romanians 3%, and Belgians 3%. By 2022, the total number of new foreigners coming to France rose above 320,000 for the first time, with nearly a majority coming from Francophone Africa (Former French Colonies). A significant increase in students, family reunification and labor migration occurred under the presidency of
Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra since 2017. He was Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), Minister of Economics, Industr ...
.


History

France's population dynamics began to change in the middle of the 19th century, as France joined the
Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...
. The pace of industrial growth attracted millions of European
immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
over the next century, with especially large numbers arriving from
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
,
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, and
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. In the wake of the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, in which France suffered six million casualties, significant numbers of workers from French colonies came. By 1930, the Paris region alone had a North African Muslim population of 70,000. Large numbers of Belgians immigrated to France in the late 19th century (there were nearly 500,000 Belgians in France in 1886), as well as Italians. The interwar era was marked by the arrival of numerous Poles (500,000 in 1931), Spaniards, Russians and Armenians.


1945–1974

Right after the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, immigration to France significantly increased. During the period of reconstruction, France lacked labor, and as a result, the French government was eager to recruit immigrants coming from all over Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. Although there was a presence of Vietnamese in France since the late 19th century (mostly students and workers), a wave of Vietnamese migrated to the country after the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and the Geneva Accords, which granted
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
its independence from France in 1954. These migrants consisted of those who were loyal to the colonial government and those married to French colonists. Following the partition of Vietnam, students and professionals from
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
continued to arrive in France. Although many initially returned to the country after a few years, as the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
situation worsened, a majority decided to remain in France and brought their families over as well. This period also saw a significant wave of immigrants from
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
. As the
Algerian War The Algerian War (also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence) ''; '' (and sometimes in Algeria as the ''War of 1 November'') was an armed conflict between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (Algeri ...
started in 1954, there were already 200,000 Algerian immigrants in France."Le film: deux siècles d'histoire de l'immigration en France." http://www.histoire-immigration.fr/histoire-de-l-immigration/le-film However, because of the tension between the Algerians and the French, these immigrants were no longer welcome. This conflict between the two sides led to the Paris Massacre of 17 October 1961, when the police used force against an Algerian demonstration on the streets of Paris. After the war, after Algeria gained its independence, the free circulation between France and Algeria was once again allowed, and the number of Algerian immigrants started to increase drastically. From 1962 to 1975, the Algerian immigrant population increased from 350,000 to 700,000. Many of these immigrants were known as the " harkis," and the others were known as the "
pieds-noirs The (; ; : ) are an ethno-cultural group of people of French and other European descent who were born in Algeria during the period of French colonial rule from 1830 to 1962. Many of them departed for mainland France during and after the ...
." The "harkis" were Algerians who supported the French during the Algerian War; once the war was over, they were deeply resented by other Algerians, and thus had to flee to France. The "pieds-noirs" were Europeans settlers who moved to Algeria, but migrated back to France since 1962 when Algeria declared independence. Additionally, the number of Pakistani and Japanese immigrants also increased during this period. There was also a great number of students and workers from former French colonies in Africa. In the 1960s, there was a wave of Portuguese, Moroccan and Turk immigrants. With this massive influx of immigrants, France became an asylum for refugees. According to the convention in Geneva, refugee status was granted to four out of five immigrant applicants. Many of these refugees came from countries in Eastern Europe (i.e.
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
) and Latin America, because they feared the dictatorship in their home countries. Although the majority of immigrants at this time came from rural regions, only 6% of them were willing to work in agriculture. About two-thirds of the immigrants worked in mining, steel, construction, and automotive industries. Approximately 12% of male immigrants and the majority of female immigrants worked in domestic services, restoration, and commerce (as for French women, a woman working was subject to her husband's authorisation until 1965.) Minor and aged immigrants usually worked in craftsmanship and small scale trades.


1974–present

During the 1970s, France simultaneously faced economic crisis and allowed immigrants (mostly from the
Muslim world The terms Islamic world and Muslim world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs, politics, and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is ...
) to permanently settle in France with their families and to acquire French citizenship. It resulted in hundreds of thousands of Muslims, especially to the larger cities, living in subsidized public housing and suffering from very high unemployment rates. Alongside this, France renounced its policy of assimilation, instead pursuing a policy of integration.Sylvia Zappi, "French Government Revives Assimilation Policy", in ''Migration Policy Institute'

October 1, 2003
In 1974, France restricted immigration from its former colonies, but immigration from former colonies in the Maghreb and West Africa would end up steadily increasing under the presidencies of
Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa ( ; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. In 2021, he was found guilty of having tried to bribe a judge in 2014 to obtain information ...
,
François Hollande François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2012 to 2017. Before his presidency, he was First Secretary of the Socialist Party (France), First Secretary of th ...
and
Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra since 2017. He was Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), Minister of Economics, Industr ...
. In the late 20th century and in the 21st century, immigration has diversified, with many immigrants originating from Sub-Saharan Africa (922,000 in 2019), Asia (486,000 in 2019) and Latin America. In addition, the enlargement of the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
has led to more
Eastern European Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountains, and ...
immigrants. According to an Ipsos poll in September 2019, 65% of respondents in France said that accepting migrants did not improve the situation in France and 45% responded that accepting migrants deprived the French of social services. In 2019, 46.5% of all immigrants were born in Africa, 35.3% were born in Europe, 14.7% in Asia and 5.4% in the Americas and Oceania. In 2020, non-EU citizens had employment rates less than 50% in the southern and southwestern regions of France and in the north and northeastern regions and was above 65% only in the Burgundy region. The African proportion of both migrants and residents in France is increasing, as by 2022, nearly a majority, 48.2%, of all immigrants living in France come from Africa, 32.3% come from Europe, 13.5% come from Asia and 6% come from the Americas and Oceania. 61.7% of all immigrants living in France come from non-European origins in 2022. By 2022, the total number of new foreigners coming to France rose above 320,000 for the first time, with a significant increase in students, family reunification and labor migration from African and Asian countries happening under the presidency of
Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra since 2017. He was Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), Minister of Economics, Industr ...
. A 2023 survey carried out by Jean-Paul Gourévitch for the ''Contribuables associés'' association (English: ''Associated Taxpayers'') found that the estimated cost of immigration to France for French taxpayers was of about €53.9 billion per year, four times more than the Justice ministry's yearly budget.


Origins of immigrants


Europeans

In 2014, the National Institute of Statistics (INSEE, for its acronym in French) published a study on Thursday, according to which has doubled the number of Italian, Portuguese and Spanish immigrants in France between 2009 and 2012. According to the French Institute, this increase resulting from the financial crisis that hit several European countries in that period, has pushed up the number of Europeans installed in France. Statistics on Spanish immigrants in France show a growth of 107 percent between 2009 and 2012, i.e. in this period went from 5300 to 11,000 people. Of the total of 229,000 foreigners arriving to France in 2012, nearly 8% were Portuguese, British 5%, Spanish 5%, Italians 4%, Germans 3%, and Belgians 3%. With the increase of Italian, Portuguese and Spanish immigrants to France, the weight of European immigrants arrived in 2012 to 46 percent, while this percentage for African reached 30%, with a presence in Morocco (7%), Algeria (7%) and Tunisia (3%). Meanwhile, 14 percent of all immigrants who settled in France that year were from Asian countries—3% of China and 2% in Turkey, while in America and Oceania constitute 10% of Americans and Brazilians accounted for higher percentage, 2 percent each. By 2022, as a result of rapidly increasing African immigration into France, the proportion of European immigrants declined from 46% in 2012 to 32.3%.


Maghrebis

French of Maghrebi (
Arabs Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...
and
Berbers Berbers, or the Berber peoples, also known as Amazigh or Imazighen, are a diverse grouping of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to North Africa who predate the arrival of Arab migrations to the Maghreb, Arabs in the Maghreb. Their main connec ...
) origin in France form the largest ethnic group after French of European origin. According to Michèle Tribalat, a researcher at INED, there were 3.5 million people of Maghrebi origin (with at least one grandparent from Algeria, Morocco or Tunisia) living in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in 2005 corresponding to 5.8% of the total French metropolitan population (60.7 million in 2005). Maghrebis have settled mainly in the industrial regions in France, especially in the Paris region. Many famous French people like
Edith Piaf Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English word , meaning ''wealth'' or ''prosperity'', in combination with the Old English , meaning '' strife'', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian lang ...
,
Isabelle Adjani Isabelle Yasmine Adjani (born 27 June 1955) is a French actress and singer of Algerian and German descent. She has received various accolades, including five César Awards and a Lumière Award, along with nominations for two Academy Awards. ...
, Arnaud Montebourg,
Alain Bashung Alain Bashung (born Alain Claude Baschung, ; 1 December 1947 – 14 March 2009) was a French singer, songwriter and actor. Credited with reviving the French chanson in "a time of French musical turmoil", he is often regarded as the most importan ...
, Dany Boon,
Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane (; ; ''Zineddin Lyazid Zidan''; ; born 23 June 1972), popularly known as Zizou, is a French professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as an attacking midfi ...
,
Karim Benzema Karim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for and Captain (association football), captains Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad Clu ...
, and Kylian Mbappé have Maghrebi ancestry. In 2005, the percentage of young people under 18 of Maghrebi origin (at least one immigrant parent) were about 7% in
Metropolitan France Metropolitan France ( or ), also known as European France (), is the area of France which is geographically in Europe and chiefly comprises #Hexagon, the mainland, popularly known as "the Hexagon" ( or ), and Corsica. This collective name for the ...
, 12% in Greater Paris, 13% in
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
, 21% in
Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ; ) is the prefectures in France, prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales departments of France, department in Southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the Me ...
, 22% in French
département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...
of
Seine-Saint-Denis () is a department of France located in the Grand Paris metropolis in the region. In French, it is often referred to colloquially as ' or ' ("ninety-three" or "nine three"), after its official administrative number, 93. Its prefecture is Bobi ...
, 37% in
18th arrondissement of Paris The 18th arrondissement of Paris (''XVIIIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements, or administrative districts, of Paris, the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as '' ...
and 40% in several arrondissements of
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
. 16% of newborns in France between 2006 and 2008 have at least one Maghrebi grandparent. Their number increased in the following years. According to other sources between 5 and 6 million people of Maghrebi origin live in France corresponding to about 7-9% of the total French metropolitan population. As of 2011, there were 4.5 million Algerians in France of which 42% were women. By 2022, as result of both The African proportion of both migrants and residents in France increasing, nearly a majority, 48.2%, of all immigrants living in France come from Africa. Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia are the main countries of origin for immigrants into France in 2022.


Marginalization of Muslim and Arab 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.
Banlieue In France, a banlieue (; ) is a suburb of a large city, or all its suburbs taken collectively. Banlieues are divided into autonomous administrative entities and do not constitute part of the city proper. For instance, 80percent of the inhabitant ...
s 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 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. 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 be fully integrated.


Sub-Saharan Africans

Immigrants from
Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...
come primarily from the countries of
Francophone Africa African French () is the umbrella grouping of varieties of the French language spoken throughout Francophone Africa. Used mainly as a secondary language or ''lingua franca'', it is spoken by an estimated 320 million people across 34 coun ...
in
West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...
and
Central Africa Central Africa (French language, French: ''Afrique centrale''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''África central''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''África Central'') is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries accordin ...
, and also
Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
. The most common countries of birth for these immigrants are
Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
,
Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
,
Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...
,
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
,
DRC The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
,
Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
,
Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo), is a country located on the western coast of Central ...
,
Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
,
Comoros The Comoros, officially the Union of the Comoros, is an archipelagic country made up of three islands in Southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Moroni, ...
and
Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...
. Some of these immigrants have been settling in France for over a century, and were employed in various jobs such as soldiers ( Senegalese Tirailleurs) and domestic workers; while others, such as Malians in France, started arriving mainly from the 1960s onward.


North Americans and South Americans

An important community of immigrants from North America to France are Haitians in France. Citizens of the United States of America total more than 100,000 permanent residents in France, Canadians 11,931, followed by Latin Americans are a growing sub-group the most numerous are the Brazilians 44,622, followed by Venezuelans 30,000, Peruvians 22,002, Chileans (esp. arrived in the 1970s) 15,782, and Argentineans 11,899 (or up to 15,000). Latin Americans are increasingly emigrating to France for economic reasons, study, work, family, and sometimes political asylum.


State provisioning on illegal immigration

Illegal immigration Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, wi ...
to France has developed as the country's immigration policy has become more rigid. In 2006, the French Ministry of the Interior estimated clandestine immigrants (" sans-papiers") in his country numbered anywhere between 200,000 and 400,000, also expecting between 80,000 and 100,000 people to enter France illegally each year. In 2011, 28,000 of such people were expelled from France. The French government set a goal of 35,000 for the next year. The initialism 'OQTF', from the 2006 law ''obligation de quitter le territoire français'', is sometimes used for a person who is required to leave France. The French government threatened to withdraw from the Schengen accord in 2009, 2011 and 2012. As of 2016, many undocumented immigrants tried to jump the fences at
Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...
and board a train or truck heading for the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. The
Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...
has agents working alongside French police and immigration agents to prevent unauthorized people from entering the British border zone.


Île-de-France

In France, the three largest cities (Paris, Lyon and Marseille) also attract the largest share of immigrants to the country. The region with the largest proportion of immigrants is the
Île-de-France The Île-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...
(Greater Paris), where 40% of immigrants live. Immigrants are more concentrated in urban areas than the native population. 90.1% of the immigrant population is located in urban areas which is significantly more than the proportion for the native population, 81.9% of them living in urban areas. In 2012, 38.2% of the total immigrant population lived in the Parisian urban area compared to 4.1% and 3.1% respectively for Lyon and Marseille. According to INSEE, French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies, responsible for the production and analysis of official statistics in France, about 35% of people (4 million) living in Île-de-France, are either immigrant (17%) or born to at least one immigrant parent (18%) in 2006. In the city of Paris, 20% of people living are immigrants and 41.3% of people under 20 have at least one immigrant parent. Among the young people under 18, 12.1% are of Maghrebi origin, 9.9% of Subsaharan African origin (not including blacks from French West Indies) and 4.0% of South European origin. 436,576 immigrants live in Paris, representing 20% of Parisians and 22.4% of immigrants in Ile-de-France. 162 635 children under 20 with at least one immigrant parent live in Paris, representing 41.3% of the total of children under 20 in Paris and 15.4% of the total of children under 20 with at least one immigrant parent in Ile-de-France


Statistics


By country of origin

According to UN estimates from mid-2020, the most common countries of birth of the foreign born population in France were: • 1 -
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
(1,637,000) • 2 -
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
(1,060,000) • 3 -
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
(640,000) • 4 -
Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
(445,000) • 5 -
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
(340,000) • 6 -
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
(326,000) • 7 -
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
(282,000) • 8 -
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
(203,000) • 9 -
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
(170,000) • 10 -
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
(164,000)


By region of origin

Immigration into France was expected to exceed 300,000 in the early 2020s, as shown in table below.


By country

Recent immigrants arriving to France as per 2014 and 2023:


INSEE Data Reporting

With the increase of Spanish, Portuguese and Italians in France, the weight of European immigrants arrived in 2012 to 46 percent, while this percentage for African reached 30%, with a presence in Morocco (7%), Algeria (7%) and Tunisia (3%). Meanwhile, 14 percent of all immigrants who settled in France that year were from Asian countries - 3% of China and 2% in Turkey, while in America and Oceania constitute 10% of Americans and Brazilians accounted for higher percentage, 2 percent each. In 2008, according to The National Institute of Statistics (INSEE), there were 12 million immigrants and their direct descendants (2nd generation) making up about 20% of the population.Les descendants d'immigrés plus nombreux que les immigrés: une position française originale en Europe
, The National Institute of Statistics (INSEE) 2012
with an immigrant defined as a foreign born person without French citizenship at birth. Without considering citizenship at birth, people not born in metropolitan France and their direct descendants made up 30% of the population aged 18–50 in metropolitan France in 2008. In 2008, there were 5.3 million immigrants corresponding to 8.5% of the total population in France (63.9 million in 2008). 42% were from Africa (30% from Maghreb and 12% from Sub-Saharan Africa), 38% from Europe (mainly from Portugal, Italy and Spain), 14% from Asia and 5% from the Americas and Oceania. Of this total, 40% have assumed French citizenship. In addition, 1.8 million people born in foreign countries (including 1 million in Maghreb) with French citizenship at birth were not included in this total. There were also 6.7 million direct descendants of immigrants (born in France with at least one immigrant parent) living in France in 2008, corresponding to 11% of the total population in France. Immigrants aged 18–50 count for 2.7 million (10% of population aged 18–50) and 5.3 million for all ages (8% of population). 2nd Generation aged 18–50 make up 3.1 million (12% of 18–50) and 6.5 million for all ages (11% of population).Être né en France d'un parent immigré
, , n°1287, mars 2010, Catherine Borrel et Bertrand Lhommeau, Insee
The regions with the largest proportion of immigrants and direct descendants of immigrants are the
Île-de-France The Île-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...
and
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (commonly shortened to PACA), also known as Région Sud, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France, located at the far southeastern point of the Metropolitan France, mainland. The main P ...
/
Languedoc-Roussillon Languedoc-Roussillon (; ; ) is a former regions of France, administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, it joined with the region of Midi-Pyrénées to become Occitania (administrative region), Occitania. It comprised five departments o ...
, where more than one third and one quarter of the inhabitants respectively were either immigrants or direct descendants of immigrants. The table shows immigrants and 2nd generation immigrants by origin in 2008. It leaves aside 3rd generation immigrants, illegal immigrants, as well as ethnic minorities with long-standing French citizenship like black people from the
French overseas territories Overseas France (, also ) consists of 13 French territories outside Europe, mostly the remnants of the French colonial empire that remained a part of the French state under various statuses after decolonisation. Most are part of the European ...
residing in metropolitan France (800,000), Roms (500,000) or people born in the Maghreb with French citizenship at birth and their descendants (about 4 million
Maghrebi Jews :''See Mizrahi Jews for more information about the Eastern Jews.'' Maghrebi Jews ( or , ''Maghrebim''), are a Jewish diaspora group with a long history in the Maghreb region of North Africa, which includes present-day Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, ...
, Harkis and
Pied-Noir The (; ; : ) are an ethno-cultural group of people of French and other European descent who were born in Algeria during the period of French colonial rule from 1830 to 1962. Many of them departed for mainland France during and after the ...
s and their descendants live in France). In 2005, 18.1% of young people under 18 were of foreign origin (at least one immigrant parent) in France including 13.5% of non-European origin. Ile-de-France has the highest proportion of total young people with foreign origins, including Europe and non-European, at about 37%. People under 18 of Maghrebi, Sub-saharian and Turkish origin became a majority in several cities of Ile-de-France ( Clichy-sous-Bois,
Mantes-la-Jolie Mantes-la-Jolie (, often informally called Mantes) is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region of north-central France. It is located to the west of Paris, f ...
, Grigny, Saint-Denis, Les Mureaux, Saint-Ouen,
Sarcelles Sarcelles () is a Communes of France, commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero#France, centre of Paris. Sarcelles is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Val-d'Oise Departments of Franc ...
,
Pierrefitte-sur-Seine Pierrefitte-sur-Seine (, ) is a former commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department and Île-de-France region of France, since 2025 a part of Saint-Denis, following a vote of both municipal councils on 30 May 2024. It forms part of the northern ...
, Garges-lès-Gonesse, Montfermeil, La Courneuve,
Sevran Sevran () is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, French department of Seine-Saint-Denis, northeastern suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. History The current Hôtel d ...
,
Aubervilliers Aubervilliers () is a communes of France, commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis departments of France, department, Île-de-France regions of France, region, northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. Geography Localisation Aubervilliers is one of th ...
,
Argenteuil Argenteuil () is a Communes of France, commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. Argenteuil is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Val-d'Oise Departments of France, ...
, Évry, Stains,
Gennevilliers Gennevilliers () is a Communes of France, commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department of Île-de-France. It is located from the Kilometre zero, centre of Paris. History On 9 April 1929, ...
et Épinay-sur-Seine). Youth of non-european origin became a majority in a few areas outside the Ile-de-France also, in particular in
Vaulx-en-Velin Vaulx-en-Velin () is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, eastern France. It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and is located to its northeast, on the river Rhône. History The rivers, including the Rhône, ...
close to Lyon, as well as
Vénissieux Vénissieux (; Arpitan language, Arpitan: or in the Lyonnais dialect) is a Communes of France, commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in eastern France. Geography Vénissieux is located on the sou ...
, Rillieux-la-Pape and Wazemmes in
Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...
, in Grand Parc in Bordeaux, and in several arrondissements of
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
. In Grigny, 31% of young people are of Sub-saharian origin. Between 2006 and 2008 about 22% of newborns in France had at least one foreign-born grandparent (9% born in another European country, 8% born in Maghreb and 3% born in another region of the world). In 2010, 27.3% of the 802,000 newborns in metropolitan France had at least one foreign-born parent. In 2010, about one quarter (24%) of all the newborns had at least one parent born outside of Europe, with about 17% of newborns in France having at least one parent originate from Africa (11% from
Maghreb The Maghreb (; ), also known as the Arab Maghreb () and Northwest Africa, is the western part of the Arab world. The region comprises western and central North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Maghreb al ...
and 6% from Subsaharan Africa). In May 2025, according to INSEE, the increase in educational attainment was greatest among African immigrants. One in two African immigrants now has a higher education diploma, compares to just under one in three in 2006.


Posted workers of Europe

Regarding the country of origin of "posted workers", the same document states the origin of the posted workers: Poles represent the largest contingent of employees posted to France (18% of the total), followed by the Portuguese (15%) and Romania (13%). The majority of these employees, about 60% comes from the historical countries of the European Union, but the share from the new Member States "EU" is growing very rapidly, and the nationals of countries outside "EU "also increases.


Asylum

In April 2025, a survey conducted by the CSA Institute revealed that a majority of the French population wanted stricter conditions for access to asylum in France.


Crime rates


Citizenship clauses

Children born in France to foreign parents with legal long-term residence in France are automatically granted French citizenship upon reaching the age of 18. People born abroad and living in France can acquire French citizenship if they satisfy certain conditions. In 2009 the number of naturalised persons was 135,000, with the largest contingent from Maghreb (41.2%). People who have worked in the
French military The French Armed Forces (, ) are the military forces of France. They consist of four military branches – the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force, and the National Gendarmerie. The National Guard serves as the French Armed Forces' military ...
can also get French citizenship.


Comparison with other European Union countries 2023

According to
Eurostat Eurostat ("European Statistical Office"; also DG ESTAT) is a department of the European Commission ( Directorate-General), located in the Kirchberg quarter of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Eurostat's main responsibilities are to provide statist ...
59.9 million people lived in the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
in 2023 who were born outside their resident country. This corresponds to 13.35% of the total EU population. Of these, 31.4 million (9.44%) were born outside the EU and 17.5 million (3.91%) were born in another EU member state.


See also

*
Demographics of France The demography of France is monitored by the Institut national d'études démographiques (INED) and the (INSEE). As of 1 January 2025, 66,352,000 people lived in Metropolitan France, while 2,254,000 lived in overseas France, for a total o ...
* List of French people of immigrant origin *
French nationality law French nationality law is historically based on the principles of ''jus soli'' (Latin for "right of soil") and ''jus sanguinis'', (Latin for "right of blood") according to Ernest Renan's definition, in opposition to the German definition of na ...
* List of countries by immigrant population *
List of sovereign states and dependent territories by fertility rate This is a list of all sovereign states and dependencies by total fertility rate (TFR): the expected number of children born per woman in her child-bearing years. Methodology The first lists show the most recent year where there is published to ...
* Remigration * Immigration to Besançon


References


External links


Coming to France
France Diplomacy
Foreigners - Immigrants
INSEE
Les immigrés en France
''Autorité de la statistique publique'', 2011


Le film: deux siècles d'histoire de l'immigration en France

De 1945 à 1975
(archived from th
original
on Sep 12, 2011) Nationale de l'histoire de l'immigration


Bibliography

* Antonio Bechelloni, Michel Dreyfus, Pierre Milza (eds), ''L'intégration italienne en France. Un siècle de présence italienne dans trois régions françaises (1880–1980)'', Bruxelles, Complexe, 1995. * Rogers Brubaker, ''Citizenship and Nationhood in France and Germany'', Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1992. * Marie-Claude Blanc-Chaléard, ''Les Italiens dans l'Est parisien: Une histoire d'intégration (1880–1960)'', Rome, École Française de Rome, 2000. * Emmanuel Blanchard, ''La police parisienne et les Algériens, 1944-1962'', Paris, Nouveau Monde Éditions, 2011. * Stéphane Dufoix, ''Politiques d'exil: Hongrois, Polonais et Tchécoslovaques en France après 1945'', Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 2002. * Jean-Philippe Dedieu, ''La parole immigrée. Les migrants africains dans l'espace public en France (1960–1995)'', Paris, Klincksieck, 2012. * Yvan Gastaut, ''L'immigration et l'opinion en France sous la Ve République'', Paris, Seuil, 2000. * Abdellali Hajjat, ''Les frontières de l'« identité nationale ». L'injonction à l'assimilation en France métropolitaine et coloniale'', Paris, La Découverte, 2012. * Goebel, Michael. ''Anti-Imperial Metropolis: Interwar Paris and the Seeds of Third World Nationalism'', Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2015
excerpts
* Nancy L. Green, ''Les Travailleurs immigrés juifs à la Belle époque. Le ''Pletzl''de Paris'', Paris, Fayard, 1985. * Donald L. Horowitz, Gérard Noiriel(eds), ''Immigrants in Two Democracies: French and American Experience'', New York, New York University press, 1992. * Gregory Mann, ''Native Sons. West African Veterans and France in the Twentieth Century'', Durham, Duke University Press, 2006. * Gérard Noiriel, ''Le Creuset français. Histoire de l'immigration XIXe-XXe'', Paris, Le Seuil, 1988. * Gérard Noiriel, Réfugiés et sans-papiers. La République face au droit d'asile. XIXe-XXe, Paris, Hachette littératures, 1998. * Janine Ponty, ''Polonais méconnus. Histoire des travailleurs immigrés en France dans l'entre-deux-guerres'', Paris, Publications de la Sorbonne, 1988. * Judith Rainhorn, ''Paris, New York. Des migrants italiens (années 1880 – années 1930)'', Paris, CNRS Éditions, 2005. * Philippe Rygiel, ''Destins immigrés: Cher 1920–1980, trajectoires d'immigrés d'Europe'', Besançon, Presses universitaires franc-comtoises, 2001. * Ralph Schor, ''Histoire de l'immigration en France de la fin du XIXe à nos jours'', Paris, Armand Colin, 1996. * Alexis Spire, ''Étrangers à la carte. L'administration de l'immigration en France, 1945-1975'', Paris, Grasset, 2005. * Benjamin Stora, ''Ils venaient d'Algérie: L'immigration algérienne en France (1912–1992)'', Paris, Fayard, 1992. * Vincent Viet, ''La France immigrée. Construction d'une politique (1914–1997)'', Paris, Fayard, 1998. * Patrick Weil, ''La France et ses étrangers : L'aventure d'une politique de l'immigration de 1938 à nos jours'', Paris, Gallimard, 2005. * Patrick Weil, ''Qu'est-ce qu'un Français ? Histoire de la nationalité française depuis la Révolution'', Paris, Grasset, 2002. * Patrick Weil, ''Immigration, Intégration, discrimination'', Paris, Le Seuil, 2005. * Claire Zalc, ''Melting Shops. Une histoire des commerçants étrangers en France'', Paris, Perrin, 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:Immigration to France