Urban segregation or residential integration in France? : A comparative study of Algerian, Moroccan and Portuguese Populations across Paris and Marseille (2006-2020).

Sammanfattning

Research on ethnic and urban segregation has been particularly prominent in the United States and parts of Europe, yet they remain relatively limited in the French context. Given France immigration history, and current political debates surrounding integration, this study investigates the residential integration patterns of immigrants in France (2006-2020). It focuses on the three largest immigrant groups, Algerians, Moroccans, and Portuguese, across the country’s two largest urban areas: Paris and Marseille. The study is structured in three parts. First, it maps the spatial distribution of these groups in relation to the native French population and measures segregation levels using dissimilarity indices. Second, it examines the role of socio-economic factors (income and education) in shaping residential patterns, using statistical analyses to assess their influence. Third, the study complements quantitative findings with a qualitative exploration of how immigrant residential concentrations manifest in the physical and social features of urban spaces. The findings reveal different patterns of integration and segregation between European (Portuguese) and non-European (Algerian and Moroccan) immigrant groups. They also challenge the assumption that immigrant residential integration in France follows a linear trajectory as predicted by the spatial assimilation theory, suggesting the need to consider alternative explanatory frameworks such as the place stratification and the ethnic preference theories.