Immigration as a political and social cleavage in France Essay

Immigration as a political and social cleavage in France - Essay Example For many years, France has been home to many immigrants. The immigrants came from all over the world. It is only until recently that most newcomers in France came from other European countries. Initially, the migratory stream in France mainly composed of African Arabs and more recently black Africans from French former colonies in West Africa and the Caribbean. There are also Turks, Lebanese, and Asian immigrants (Wade 47). More notably is a group of Muslim immigrants from former French colonies. The number of Muslim immigrants in France is high to the extent that France has Western Europe’s largest Islamic population. The influx of immigrants in France has resulted in the rise of a new conflict in the nation. The conflict has led to riots and changes in laws related to the French history, culture, religion and language. Many people in French believe that the influx of immigrants will erase the identity of France as a nation especially the influence of Muslims. Religious conflicts arise due to the high number of Muslim immigrants. The religious-related conflicts have resulted in riots in many urban centers in France and tensions in Paris, Roma and other places (Angelique 1). Most of the immigrants have different ethnic backgrounds and cultures. The high numbers of these immigrants in France threaten the native ethnic composition, culture and language of the French people. The entrance of new cultures and ethnicity has threatened the local culture. Consequently, the French immigration minister launched a great debate to determine the future of France at a time when France was experiencing a high nu mber of immigrants (Nicolas 1). However, there was opposition to these national debates on immigration. Cultural cohabitation from the immigrants has increased the tension as the nation is falling into a crisis of national identity. The effects of immigrants from North Africa has