Immigration is one of the most significant and pressing issues in contemporary France. It has stirred up controversies over concepts such as the `ghetto' and the `underclass': it has erupted in flashpoints such as the Islamic headscarf affair, the Gulf War and the reform of French nationality laws, and it has become central to the political debate with the rise of Jean-Marie Le Pen's extreme right-wing Front National.
This is the first comprehensive survey to be published in English covering developments in this field during the last twenty years. Spanning politics and economics, social structures and cultural practices, this authoritative study will be of keen interest to undergraduates and researchers in French studies, migration studies and ethnic relations, and a wide range of social science disciplines.