Moroccan immigration in France: do migration policy matters?

1. Virginie Guiraudon (CERAPS, University of Lille)Camille Schmoll (Géographie-cités, University of Paris 7) Moroccan immigration in France: do migration policy matters?

2. Organization of the paper • The history of Moroccan immigration to France and the current context • French immigration and integration policies • The pilot study: little interaction between migrant aspirations and policy goals

3. France is... • Both an old and new immigration country for Moroccans • The first residence country for Moroccan immigrants in Europe

4. The history of Moroccan immigration to France and the current context • Importance of dual nationals • Diversity of modes of entry and residence permit • Moroccans are mainly concentrated in the Paris metropolitan area • A number of ’’illegalised immigrants’’ • The current situation of immigrants in France: socio-economic difficulties including high unemployment and increasing segregation in housing and education

5. Diversity of the Moroccan immigrant population • War veterans • Students • Retired industrial workers “Chibanis” • Agricultural seasonal workers • Urban elite • Jewish diaspora • Feminization of migration and increase of single women migration • Entrepreneurs and circular migrants…

6. French immigration and integration policies • 1973: France stops recruiting foreign workers. Immigration policy is twofold: • strict immigration controls • integration of legal migrants • Immigration policies: • The restriction of entries and the ‘‘sans papiers’’ issue • Importance of family migration and family reunion • Integration policies: • Reinvention of the French model of integration through integration policies • Citizenship : access to citizenship is still relatively open compared to other European countries but it is being constantly limited

7. The pilot study • Interviews with 3 Moroccan migrants and 2 French policy makers (2006-2007) • The results of the pilot study suggest that French policies had no impact on the choice of destination of the Moroccan migrants interviewed

8. a)    Which nodal points (if any) they have identified in their case studies – of no nodal points appear to be relevant please comment (the notion is not useful or...?) • Policy-makers tend to believe, not only that policy matters but also, that strict policies can act as a deterrent • Our study of Moroccans in France suggests that they did not choose France as a destination country based on knowledge of French policies but rather through kin relations and with an erroneous and very vague knowledge of French society

9. There is little interaction between migrant aspirations and policy goals, in the sense that French policies had no impact on the choice of destination of the Moroccan migrants interviewed • What is relevant instead is the way policies are implemented: highly skilled immigrants for instance tend to choose North America as a destination because in France they feel discriminated and stigmatized by civil servants and by the society as a whole

10. Moreover, it is likely that French policies have an impact on:  the way immigrants choose to leave  immigrant’s integration in the host society

11. b) what ignored nodal points are relevant in their case study – comment shortly • Further investigation should focus on key moments within the migration process and the diversity of Moroccan immigrant population

12. c)  what kind of information did they specifically use and/or what kind of information did they specifically miss and why • Immigrants seem to lack information on immigration policies (or maybe they deliberately choose to ignore it?) • Little role of NGOs before leaving the country • Role of the media in the home country in providing information: increase awareness of danger and discrimination and racism

13. d)  what is the role of professional networks (smugglers and others) in irregular/regular migration • Interviews provided no information on smuggling networks • Role of the French consulates and issue of « illegalised immigrants »

14. e)  what is the role of informal networks (kinship, ethnic networks, others) • Immigration: relevance of kinship and ethnic networks • Integration: mobilization through NGOs and Trade unions. Role of schools and workplaces as mobilization sites. • The role of rumour between co-ethnics could be also investigated

15. f) Please provide for a migrant typology for your case study • A typology of migrants practices and autonomy towards the legal frames that could be used for future research: • Positive use of the legal rule: to make profit from two national legal frameworks (for instance through circulation; through resources provided by RME policy…) • Bypass: migrants bypass a legal rule by using another legal rule • Mobilization: migrants protest against the legal rule • Illegality: migrants appeal to smugglers and find jobs in the black market • Discouragement: migrants return or migrants do not emigrate, migrants decide to use France as a transit destination • Failure of the migratory project: migrants are forced to return, die or wound themselves during the trip…

16. g) What is the relevance of the local/regional context for the enforcement/implementation of migration and migrant policies • Strong relevance. Actors are:  Mayors (and local civil servants)  Prefectures  Consulates  Administrative court • Role of local ethnic networks for integration (in particular as regards housing and labor market integration)

17. In 2006 and 2007, targets for the removal of foreigners from France were set at 25,000, and though the target has not quite been met, there is pressure on the prefects, the police, gendarmerie and border guards (Police de l’air et des frontières) to find undocumented persons that could be deported. • We need to know more about the local implementation of policies (by interviewing civil servants for instance)

18. h) What are the effects of enforcement on migrants (do they change their plans or do they simply change their strategy to achieve the initial plan?) • They change their strategies • Example 1: the increasing role of marriage in migration strategies → Impact on the structuration of the family and gender relations • Example 2: the role of political mobilization. Network called RESF (Schooling Without Borders) seeks to prevent immigrants expulsion (Led by parents, teachers and NGOs)

19. Research directions • The impact of the immigrant specific situation (gender, generation, legal status, specific social and economic resources…) on its plans and trajectories needs further investigation.

20. Such an investigation could be useful for cross-comparison between national case studies. • This could help us to understand the impact of different scales of governance, such as the European and the Local/urban scale.

21. We need also to know more about the legal framework in the country of origin and its impacts on migrants strategies