Ingresso, lavoro e integrazione degli stranieri in Francia. Politiche in atto per una immigration choisie

L’immigrazione per motivi economici è un fenomeno risalente e costante nella storia della Francia che si lega assai precocemente alle politiche relative all’accesso alla cittadinanza, nonché all’espansione dell’impero francese e alla complessa fase coloniale. È soprattutto a partire dal XIX secolo, in risposta alle esigenze del capitalismo, che l’immigrazione economica raggiunge il suo pieno sviluppo, consolidando un modello di mercato assai aperto e poco regolato, che si mantiene tendenzialmente tale sino al secondo dopoguerra. A partire da quel momento, tuttavia, e in modo via via crescente, il fenomeno migratorio viene attentamente disciplinato e pianificato dallo Stato, divenuto più attento alla “qualità” dell’immigrazione e alle effettive esigenze del mercato, ma anche alle problematiche connesse agli ingressi irregolari e all’integrazione degli stranieri. Il contributo ripercorre alcuni passaggi significativi della storia dell’immigrazione economica in Francia e dei suoi rapporti con cittadinanza e integrazione. In France, immigration for economic reasons is a long-standing and constant phenomenon throughout history. It is linked very early on to policies concerning access to citizenship, as well as to the expansion of the French empire and the complex colonial phase. It is above all from the 19th century onwards, in response to the demands of capitalism, that economic immigration reached its full development, consolidating a very open and unregulated market model, which tended to remain so until after World War II. Since then, however, and in an increasing way, the migration phenomenon has been carefully regulated and planned by the State, which has become more attentive to the “quality” of immigration and to the actual needs of the market, but also to the problems related to irregular entry and integration of foreigners. The contribution briefly traces some significant steps in the history of economic immigration in France and its relationship with citizenship and integration. The authors then dwell on the current discipline in relation to the residence permits that allow foreigners to work in France, on the one hand, and the authorization to work and the various hiring procedures, on the other. Particular attention is devoted to the rights of foreign workers, including irregular ones, with specific reference to the issue of access to social security benefits. Finally, the role of bilateral agreements (and, in particular, bilateral agreements for the concerted management of migration flows) is addressed.