Illegal Immigration - French style

This is a very sensitive post. It deals with issues of race and immigration which are very close to some people’s hearts.

I have to say upfront that I have no doubts whatsoever that I am one of the most privileged people in the world, and I have no right to complain about minor inconveniences to the achievement of my dreams.

But I want to explain a bit about some of the issues that arise in France, and compare that to how we treat immigration in Australia.

I find it quite funny that I am now an “immigrant”, a “foreigner”, on the outside of French society, willing to do (almost) anything to get the right to stay and work in France. I want to share some of the emotions that go with that “role” – even if I am coming at the topic from a position of wealth and privilege.

Please feel free to add (intelligent, constructive) comments at the end. I would love to hear different people’s views – or any information that adds to the overall picture.

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People often ask me about why I dont have the right to work in France. I’m educated, experienced, willing to work and can bring a lot to the country.

I tell people that it’s exactly the same in Australia. I know so many French people who would nearly kill for permanent residency in Australia – people who are skilled, speak English well and hard-working – but cant get enough “points” to be accepted.

But there really are some big differences between the way the two countries treat immigrants.

I’ll put refugees to the side for the purpose of this post – legitimate refugees have a genuine, life-threatening reason to flee their country. I’m talking more about “financial refugees” or people just looking for a better life.

Have a read of this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/world/europe/11illegal.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

This is the stuff that makes both the right wing and left wing in France go nuts.

The right says that we cant take in everyone, why is the government allowing all these people to remain in the country illegally, and why are unskilled migrants given residency papers without following the normal legal processes like everyone else?

The left says that its disgusting that a civilised country like France has people living in squats, being exploited by unethical employers and why shouldn’t people wanting to work for the country be given the opportunity particularly when they often come from countries with zero opportunities to improve their standard of living?

There is a definitely push and pull even within the government systems (even if we have a right wing government in power). Everyone technically has to follow the same process to gain working papers in France. This ensures a level of fairness. Except that there are a lot of ‘white’ French people who dont want more Africans and Arabs in France, and so the actual process is either:

(a) skewed towards developed countries (eg where documents like birth certificates are readily available. No birth certificate, no visa. Or perhaps the cost of translating the documents is too expensive for some people to pay. No translation, no visa.) and/or

(b) the process is used to weed out people that the person sitting in the Prefecture doesnt like (eg the process allows Prefecture staff to ask for “any other documents that the staff member thinks is necessary” – which means that they can keep asking for more and more documents, no matter how crazy, in the hope that the person will give up, or just flat-out refuse a visa on the basis they they didnt have adequate documentation).

Some of the resistance to give working papers to migrants stems from France’s high-unemployment rate (currently 10%): why should jobs be given to foreigners when there arent enough jobs for French citizens? OK, I understand that. But where would Australia be if not for all the immigrants who helped to build our country?

Hey there French Government! I’m educated! I’m experienced! I WANT to pay taxes! Give me working papers!

All this has made me really think about what it means to be an immigrant. What sort of person do you have to be, what situation do you have to find yourself in, in order to pack up your entire life and move to another country? Why do people want to move countries?

The idea of immigrants is, in Australia and France, demonised. Immigrants as criminals, trying to take jobs from locals, trying to enforce a cultural-takeover of the country with their strange customs and clothes…But is that REALLY what someone thinks when they move out of their home country?

I’ve basically come to my current conclusion (naive? yes. not fully informed? yes.), that there should be no border controls. A national registration system for all residents would be essential. And residency wouldnt give an immediate right to citizenship. Nor would it give the immediate right to government benefits. But I just cant see the point in stopping people who are willing to work and make a better life for themselves and their children. I dont actually think that this would increased immigration numbers dramatically, just a slight shifting of population globally. And wouldn’t an empty country be a big kick up the butt for some of those African dictatorships? Hmm?

I love comparing France’s immigration issues with Australia’s immigration “problems”: “Boat People Out of Control!”

http://www.smh.com.au/world/boat-people-trade-out-of-control-20100408-rv73.html

The idea that it is being “flooded” with illegal immigrants is kinda funny when you consider the statistics:

http://www.unhcr.org/4ba8d8239.html

OK, they dont break the EU figure into individual countries, but its generally known that France gets the majority of them because of lenient treatment of illegal immigrants.

In France, even if you are deported, you are generally sent home on a plane (sometimes a plane is chartered for a small group of people) and given around 2000 euros for “resettlement costs”. I’m not sure how much it costs to pay people smugglers to get from Africa to Paris, but its not a bad deal that you get to re-coup your costs even if you fail to gain residency.

Compare that to Australia’s detention centres, where people are locked into detention centres until they can be assessed, and remain there if they cant afford the flight back home. (Australia is even so kind as to burn traditional wooden Indonesian fishing boats (with no electronic navigation systems) caught in Australian waters so that (a) they have no way of getting home (b) not even some money from selling the boat to find a way home and (c) no income in the event that they do manage to find some money to get home. OK, it’s not cool to be fishing in our waters, or to be over-fishing/fishing endangered species, but really what we do in response is just gross).

Why does Australia do this?

So ok, I like the idea that France treats people more humainly, but when I’m feeling really down about being rejected from a job once again because I dont have the right to work here, I cant help but wonder whether I might have a better chance of getting  my papers if I was hanging out in a squat with everyone else.

Am I just jealous? Am I behaving like a spoilt little rich kid? YES!

I had a good life in Australia. I can return there safely and easily find a job and accommodation and enjoy the peaceful environment and stable government.

I know I am nothing like someone who has come from an African country where young girls are taken in as “girlfriends” for aging government officials, where theft is the only way to make sure you have enough money to feed your family that night, where all the country’s wealth goes to a corrupt President and his “chosen few” which they spend in the Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Elysees.

And a lot of people have told me that getting my “carte de sejour” (temporary residence card – as a visitor only) is definitely made easier because I’m a nice white rich girl from a “friendly” country.

But still. I cant help but mumble under my breath when I find out that someone who just turned up in Paris, with no intention to integrate in even the slightest way (including people who still wish to practice and enforce female circumcision – as heard by a friend as she was sitting in an “integration” course for new residents), can be given permanent residency just because the government wants to keep them quiet.

The squeaky wheel gets the oil.

But all things considered, I wont be squeaky, especially when I am lucky enough to have my “Plan B” as the beautiful land called Australia.

And I will continue to follow the “legal” path of getting my papers in France, even if it often seems impossible. It’s nothing compared to what some people have to do to escape war and poverty.

What to you think?