Paris Minority Travelers

Like much of Europe, France has experienced a wave of immigration from former colonies in the past few decades. The Maghreb—an ethnic group composed of North Africans and Arabs—make up the greatest percentage of the immigrants, at over a million, followed by West Africans and Vietnamese. Many immigrants are uneducated and face discrimination, which leads to poverty and crime in the predominantly immigrant banlieues (suburbs). In the fall of 2005, riots swept France in retaliation for the deaths of two Parisian immigrant teenagers following an altercation with the police. In turn, there has been a surge of support for the far-right National Front party and its cry, “La France pour les français.” Anyone who might be taken for a North African or a Muslim may encounter verbal abuse and is likelier than other travelers to be stopped and questioned by the police. The following organizations can give you advice and help in the event of an encounter with racism.

SOS Racisme, 51 av. de Flandre, 75019 Paris (☎01 40 35 36 55; www.sos-racisme.org). Provides legal services and helps negotiate with police.
Mouvement Contre le Racisme et Pour l’Amitié Entre les Peuples (MRAP), 43 bd. Magenta, 75010 Paris (☎01 53 38 99 99; www.mrap.asso.fr). Handles immigration issues; monitors publications and propaganda for racism.

More Travel Concerns in Paris

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