Immigration and integration policy in France: relationship between policy research and political decisionmaking
Date
2014
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
This thesis frames the ethno-political situation and immigrant integration in France
through examining the relationship and interaction between integration policy research
and actual political decision-making in terms of French immigration and integration
policy. The thesis proposes that the relationship between policy research and political
decision-making contradicts and reveals a gap. To support the argument, this study
offers a relationship analysis over a decade-long time frame to evaluate under which
integration indicators the policies have tended towards being restrictive and
discouraging or nonrestrictive and encouraging. In order to analyze the linkage, the
study focuses on different ministerial reports, national surveys, specific policies and
legislation over the period of 2000-2013. The results indicate that firstly, problems
surrounding French integration model derive from fundamental tension between
republican universalist values on the hand and systematic rejection of ethnic and racial
categories on the other; secondly, relationship between integration related policy
research and political decision-making contradicts; and finally, two out of five
indicators reveal that integration policies have tended towards being strongly restrictive.