www.oecd.

org/migration/imo
5. COUNTRY NOTES: RECENT CHANGES IN MIGRATION MOVEMENTS AND POLICIES

France

ermanent immigration (excluding European Union nationals) increased for the second consecutive year to reach 142 000 entries in 2011 (up by 4% compared with 2010), close to the 2004 level. The rise in inflows in 2011 stemmed largely from labour migration, which increased by 5% (to 24 000) while the number of refugees and family migrants remained stable. This upward trend is due in part to better capture of the long-stay visa constituting a residence permit (Visa de long sjour valant titre de Sjour, VLS-TS), instituted in 2009 for a number of categories of temporary or permanent entries.

language test introduced on 1 January 2012. Over the same period, there were 23 000 early acquisitions for minors and 22 000 by marriage. Several changes have come into effect since 1 January 2012 following the adoption on 16 June 2011 of the Act on Immigration, Integration and Nationality (LIIN, in French). In particular, this legislation provides for stricter measures with regard to the expulsion of undocumented immigrants. Also, the procedure for naturalisation and acquisition of citizenship after four years of marriage has been clarified, and stricter language requirements imposed. A new circular issued 18 October 2012, however, eases job-related criteria. A fixed-term or temporary employment contract may now be considered proof of stable and sufficient resources. Also, a presumption of assimilation into society is allowed for persons under the age of 25 who have lived in France for more than ten years and who have at least five years of continuous formal schooling. The circulars of 31 May 2011 on controlling immigration and of 12 January 2012 on access to the labour market for foreign students have been repealed. The circular of 31 May 2012 encourages prefects to consider more flexibly and on a case-by-case basis applications from foreign students for a change of status. Students who have obtained a degree in France that is at least equivalent to the Master 2 (M2) diploma can now apply for temporary leave to stay (Autorisation provisoire de sjour APS) which is valid for six months and which allows applicants to look for work related to their training. Under certain conditions, a change of status may later be granted, with the issuance of a permanent residence permit. The Ministry of the Interior sent a circular to all prefectures on 28 November 2012 clarifying the conditions of the regularisation procedure for undocumented immigrants. Persons requesting a temporary residence permit must have lived in France for at least five years, hold a contract of employment or strong family ties, and have a sufficient command of French. The Decision of the Conseil dtat of 26 December 2012 re-established the list of 30 shortage occupations which had initially been drawn up in 2008, and which, in the interim, had been reduced to 14.

Most non-EU citizens admitted for permanent residence were from Africa (60%), and especially Algeria (20 500), Morocco (17 400), Tunisia (9 700) and Mali (5 100). Asia was the second-ranking region of origin (20%), the main countries being China and Turkey (5 300 each). In 2011, 17 000 temporary labour permits were issued in France, including 8 800 new seasonal work permits. One third of the new temporary work permits (excluding seasonal permits) were granted to immigrants already living in the country. In 2011, 70 000 permits (89% of which were VLS-TS) were granted to foreign students, an increase of 7% over the previous year. The main countries of origin were China (10 800), Morocco (7 300), the United States (5 800), Algeria (4 400) and Tunisia (2 800). Also, the number of former students changing their status remained stable in 2011 with fewer than 15 000 permanent-stay visas being granted, two out of three on economic grounds. The number of asylum seekers has been rising constantly for four years. In 2011, 40 000 adults made an application (with 12 000 accompanying minors), roughly 10% more than the previous year. One third of the applications are from just five countries (Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Armenia, Sri Lanka and the Russian Federation). In 2011 as in 2010 approximately 10 500 persons were granted the protection of France, including 2 500 persons qualifying for subsidiary protection. The number of persons receiving assistance for voluntary departures reached a record of 4 700 in 2011 (up 18% from 2010). Moreover, 10 600 persons qualified for humanitarian repatriation (9% more than in 2010), including 7 300 Romanians. 17 000 expulsions were carried out in 2011 (86 000 had been ordered). In 2011, nearly 115 000 acquisitions of citizenship were recorded. The majority of these were obtained by decree (66 000). However, this method of acquiring citizenship saw a 30% decline in 2011, probably as a result of the anticipated stricter French

For further information

www.immigration.interieur.gouv.fr www.ofii.fr/ www.ofpra.gouv.fr.

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5. COUNTRY NOTES: RECENT CHANGES IN MIGRATION MOVEMENTS AND POLICIES

Recent trends in migrant flows and stocks

FRANCE
Migration flows (foreigners) National definition Per 1 000 inhabitants Inflows Outflows Migration inflows (foreigners) by type Permit based statistics (standardised) Work Family (incl. accompanying family) Humanitarian Free movements Others Total Temporary migration Thousands International students Trainees Working holiday makers Seasonal workers Intra-company transfers Other temporary workers Inflows of asylum seekers Per 1 000 inhabitants Components of population growth Per 1 000 inhabitants Total Natural increase Net migration Stocks of immigrants Percentage of the total population Foreign-born population Foreign population Naturalisations Percentage of the foreign population Labour market outcomes Employment/population ratio Native-born men Foreign-born men Native-born women Foreign-born women Unemployment rate Native-born men Foreign-born men Native-born women Foreign-born women Macroeconomic indicators Annual growth in % Real GDP GDP/capita (level in USD) Employment (level in thousands) Percentage of the total labour force Unemployment 6.9 4.1 1.2 2000 7.1 4.0 1.6 2005 5.3 4.2 1.2 2010 5.3 4.0 1.3 2011 7.1 3.9 1.6 Average 2001-05 10.9 .. Average 2001-05 .. Average 2001-05 70.2 66.7 58.8 48.0 7.0 13.2 9.3 16.1 Average 2001-05 1.6 0.9 0.6 8.8 2006-10 0.6 0.1 0.6 9.0 2006-10 69.0 66.7 61.0 50.0 7.6 13.3 8.4 14.9 Level 2011 2006-10 3.8 2006-10 11.5 5.9 5.6 4.3 1.3 333 253 80 Level (000) 2011 7 358 .. Level 2011 114 584 46.2 0.6 .. 16.2 1.0 6.5 2000 0.7 2000 65.2 0.6 .. 7.8 1.0 4.7 2005 0.8 2005 69.9 0.8 .. 8.8 2.9 6.2 2010 0.8 2010 51.2 0.6 .. 12.7 1.0 5.0 2011 0.8 2011 2000 2005 2010 2011 Average 2001-05 2.1 .. 2006-10 2.1 .. Level (000) 2011 142.0 ..

1.6 ..

2.2 ..

Thousands 2010 2011 22.9 24.1 82.8 84.2 10.3 10.7 61.8 71.1 18.5 21.1 196.3 211.3 2005 2010

2.2 2.2 .. .. % distribution 2010 2011 11.7 11.4 42.2 39.9 5.3 5.1 31.5 33.7 9.4 10.0 100.0 100.0 Average 2011 2006-10

Inflows of top 10 nationalities as a % of total inflows of foreigners

France 2001-10 annual average
Algeria Morocco Tunisia China Turkey Mali Senegal Cameroon Haiti Dem. Rep. of the Congo

2011

10

15

20 0

Average 2001-05 0.9 Average 2001-05 2006-10 2006-10 0.6

Level 2011 52 147 Level (000) 2011

10.3 .. 2000 4.6 2000

11.3 .. 2005 .. 2005

11.6 6.0 2010 3.8 2010

11.6 .. 2011 3.0 2011

69.8 66.7 56.6 45.6 7.7 14.5 11.3 19.7 2000

69.6 67.1 59.9 48.2 7.5 12.5 9.0 16.8 2005

68.4 66.4 61.1 49.7 8.4 13.7 8.9 16.0 2010

64.8 57.5 64.8 57.5 8.1 14.1 8.9 16.2 2011

3.7 3.0 3.5 9.0

1.8 1.1 0.7 9.3

1.7 1.1 0.3 9.7

1.7 1.1 0.7 9.6

35 387 25 956

Notes and sources are at the end of the chapter. 1 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888932823985

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