Pathways of integration of young French of Maghrebi background in Montreal

Abstract

In the French public debate, the French migrant is mainly described through the image of a white, middle class expat. This makes the diversity of the population who decides to leave France for extra-European destinations invisible. But what about the effect of such diversity on the integration process abroad? This chapter focuses on the integration process of young French of Maghrebi origin who moved to the city of Montreal (Canada). Building on the concept of “pathway” of integration, the chapter unfold both the structural dynamics shaping the opportunity for durable integration and the strategies that are carved out by individual Maghrebi French migrants to make Montreal home. Through the presentation of three selected cases, the chapter highlights the diversity of the pathways of integration followed in Montreal, in particular regarding the identification and the interactions with the French population in the city. i