Immigration Policy Based on the Assimilation in France: Reality or Myth?
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Kim Bok-rae 
Published: April 2019

The aim of this paper is to analyze two EU countries: France and Netherlands which have a different approach on the immigration. In contrast to “multi-cultural” Netherlands, France has claimed to support the “assimilative” immigration policy to match its reputation as a “champion of assimilationism.” Traditionally, France has made an effort to integrate foreign immigrants under the republican principles: equality (égalité)･homogeneity(homogénéité)･secularity(sécularité). France has not counted individuals by race or ethnicity. Unlike the US, UK, or even the Netherlands, France maintains a color-blind model of public policy, in order to correspond to French constitutional/republican values which ban any racial or ethnic ‘discrimination’ in nation-state(Etat-Nation). However, such ‘race-neutral’ policies cannot prevent discrimination and social exclusion which occur on daily basis in real life. In spite of the great emphasis on equality, French (muslim) immigrant communities are gradually marginalized from dominant society. On the contrary, the Netherlands has claimed to support multiculturalism, even in rejecting linguistic assimilationism. This difference between two countries is derived from their political, cultural and national identities that fundamentally decide their basic contents of immigration policies. France and the Netherlands have opposite approaches to immigrants, but neither of these approaches seems to be working. Surprisingly, they have had similar problems with their immigrants, and violence has erupted in both countries. Thus, two different approaches: assimilationism and multiculturalism cannot present a concrete, advisable and realistic solution to solve immigration problem which is, nowadays, being excessively “politicized” with the rising of new 2nd, 3rd immigration generation. The main body of this paper is divided into two sections: (1) assimilationism and multiculturalism, (2) French and Dutch immigration history. The trend of immigration policy of two countries can be also sub-divided into three main stages: (1) stage of high economic growth after World War II, (2) stage of very low economic growth due to 1973 oil crisis (3) change of public sentiment with the growth of far-right populist and anti-immigrant politicians. In addition, we need to mention the “post-colonialism” in the immigration policy of both countries. Because the cultural relationship between the colonizer (France, Netherlands and other European countries) and the colonized (North African countries including Algeria), that is “us and them,” is well mirrored in the immigration policy of two countries: Franc and Netherlands.
Is the integration of foreign immigrants in France myth or reality? To understand the developmental process of French immigration and assimilation policies, it’s necessary to analyze historical background and prime-mover which became the solid basis of today’s French state and pluralist society. Thus, this historical, diachronic and comparative analysis will be a useful guide to anatomize the socio-economic and political dilemmas which can make a big influence over immigration and integration.