By Thomas Lacroix

Paris ~ Immigration is a highly contentious and contested issue in France. During the past 20 years, 12 laws have been introduced towards bringing in an ever more restrictive approach to immigration. And yet every poll survey keeps showing the French want ever stricter border control.

That is despite France no longer being a major destination country anymore. Although 10.7 per cent of its population is foreign born, the annual immigration rate into France (the ratio between immigrant inflows and the total population of the country) amounted to 0.37 per cent in 2023 and is among the lowest in OECD countries.

It is three times as low as countries such as Belgium (1.06 per cent), Canada (1.06 per cent) or Germany (1.37 per cent).

A closer examination of the apparent polarisation around immigration shows it is largely driven by a strategic political positioning to transform the immigration issue from a practical policy matter into a symbolic battleground. As political parties struggle to retain their voters, they use immigration to activate the left-right division, rather than reflecting genuine societal cleavage.

The illusion of Left-Right opposition

At first glance, France's political spectrum appears neatly divided on immigration: the left advocating for humanitarian concerns, while the right emphasises control and security. This binary presentation fails to capture the complexity of public opinion and policy realities.

First, immigration ranks relatively low among French citizens' primary concerns. Surveys repeatedly show that economic issues (particularly purchasing power), healthcare system pressures, and climate change consequences dominate the public's attention.

In IPSOS-CESE polling for issues of public concern, immigration is in sixth position, with only 18 percent of the respondents ranking immigration as their primary concern.

It typically appears as a secondary concern, often influenced more by media coverage and political campaigns than by direct personal experience. This suggests that the political emphasis on immigration may be disproportionate to its actual importance in citizens' daily lives.

Second, annual surveys on racism show a constant progress towards greater societal understanding and tolerance. The Longitudinal Tolerance Index published by the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH) shows a rise in the level of tolerance towards foreigners since 1990, with younger generations more exposed to foreign cultures displaying the highest levels.

Lastly, contrary to the heated political discourse, French public opinion demonstrates significant consensus on key immigration issues.

Polling consistently shows that majorities across political affiliations support targeted immigration to address labour shortages in specific sectors, from healthcare to agriculture.