Paris - What does it mean to be French in a country where a quarter of the population are either immigrants or have immigrant heritage? It is a question that seems to come up in every presidential campaign and inevitably leads to heated debate and by default much tension and soul-searching.
Immigration is a particular concern of the far-right candidates Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour who talk about ‘assimilation’ rather than ‘integration’ of all immigrants. It is also an important factor in the campaign of right-wing candidate Valérie Pécresse and is dividing an already disunited left.
We also hear from Assa Traore, France-born of Malian parentage, whose brother Adama died while being arrested by police in 2016. It was France’s George Floyd moment and exposed the systemic racism that many believe still prevails in French life.
