Local governments and integration of immigrants: examples of approaches in selected cities in France
Abstract
The paper involves in actual theme of migration and integration policy. First part consists of its analysis in France, i.e. the country, which has the longest experience with immigrants in Europe.
The evolution showed that even when a country is "migrant-friendly", the share of immigrants doesn't reach critical values (historical maximum for France was 7.4 %). On the contrary, when more restrictions are applied, the immigrants change their strategies and tend to stay in the country: so their number, as well as their share on the total population, increases.
On the regional level, the local governments have to solve practical problems of everyday co-existence of immigrants and major population - without having sufficient financial resources and also without a clear conception, their role is not simple. Examples of these problems as well as their possible solutions are given from the experience of two regions: Ile-de-France (including Paris) and Basse-Normandie.