All of Europe wants the dross sent back

The opinion of the French about immigrants after the riots: Drive them out
Published July 9, 2023 at 33 p.m
FOREIGN. After a week of rioting and looting in French cities, the majority of French now want citizenship and benefits revoked for immigrant families whose children took part in the vandalism. This is shown by a survey of far-right attitudes conducted by Odoxa-Backbone Consulting for the newspaper Le Figaro.

Although the French government has stated that the riots had nothing to do with immigration, this has been questioned.

As many as 75 percent of those polled believe that those who have been convicted of crimes in connection with the riots should be stripped of their French citizenship.

A majority also supports two proposals from the right-wing parties Republicans and National Gathering: An abolition of impunity for minors (78 percent) and the introduction of financial sanctions (suspended benefits) against parents of criminals (77 percent).

Approximately 59 percent of those surveyed want stricter immigration legislation in the fall. They see recent events as a consequence of the failure of immigration.

This is in stark contrast to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin's statement that "there were many Kévins and Mattéos" among those arrested, who were "90 percent French".

Darmanin also emphasized that "the issue today is young criminals, not immigrants."

However, it has been noted that almost all of those arrested are second or third generation immigrants from the Third World, and many of the videos from the riot showed that people of non-European background were involved in most of the incidents of looting and acts of violence that were filmed.

The survey showed that although support for law enforcement and the police remains strong (64 percent), trust in the French government is declining.

Only 27 percent of those surveyed thought the government's response to the crisis was good or sufficient. Instead, the French expect the government to take tougher measures, especially when it comes to immigration.

According to Odoxa's analysis, the main feelings of the French population towards the riots were confusion (77 percent), anger (84 percent) and fear for the country's future (89 percent).