African Immigrants in France in the Context of the Growing Politicization of the Migration Problem

Abstract

The article analyzes the transformation of migration policy in France in recent years. French immigration policy, following in the wake of the common course of the European Union, implies the adoption of increasingly restrictive laws in an assimilationist logic. The changes also apply to immigrants from Africa, who make up 46.1% of all immigrants living in France. Based on the analysis of statistical data and official documents regulating migration between the EU and France on the one hand and African countries on the other, the article examines the historical context and the current state of the African immigrant community in France, and draws conclusions about the excessive politicization of the immigration issue. The reasons for the migration of Africans to France, the composition of communities, and the situation of African immigrants in France are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the causes and consequences of the politicization of the migration problem in France. The article examines the latest changes in French immigration legislation and their impact on the situation of African immigrants. It is concluded that in modern French political discourse, immigrants of African descent are represented as problematic groups of the population unsuitable for integration into the French society. The risk of forming the immigration policy for reasons of political expediency lies in the fact that immigrants from African countries find themselves in an increasingly disadvantaged position in France.