Local integration policies towards foreigners: transatlantic comparison on the example of France and Quebec
Abstract
The social integration of immigrants into mainstream society always has a strong local (and especially urban) dimension and the attitudes and practices of local councils significantly affect this process and its results. Our research compares the practice in two cities: Paris, the capital of France, and Montreal, the metropolis of Quebec.
The research has shown that in Paris the policy of studied city districts was influenced by the existing policy on the whole city level, applying significantly multicultural measures. However, the everyday practice reflects also other influences, like national policies primarily oriented on "assimilation" of immigrants (mainly the policies regarding the access to the rights or to the education).
The concrete local initiatives for immigrants were also dependent on the personal visions of the leaders of the city/city district. In the case of Montreal, many local actions are encountered in the absence of a centralized policy statement on this issue.
The approach of the leaders of the city is more pragmatic than in Paris, although many statements of philosophical principles exist. The study based on a large number of detailed discussions with municipal officials in the above mentioned localities allows illustrate and support these general observations through concrete examples.