The future of immigrants in France: barriers and inequalities.

Summary The objective of this thesis is to fill a theoretical and empirical gap in sociological knowledge about immigration in France. It uses census data from 1968 to 1999 and compares the statistical analyses obtained with an international literature on the modes of integration of immigrants. The results highlight the obstacles and inequalities characteristic of the integration process and reveal a form of ethnic stratification that appears crucial whether one is dealing with spatial distribution, participation in the labor market, choice of spouse or access to nationality. Regarding the scientific dialectic between the structural and cultural dimensions of integration, this research invalidates any hypothesis of a cultural hiatus between the "new migrants" and the natives. It is structural integration that seems to be problematic in France, especially for those immigrant groups that suffer the most from discrimination.