 groslard wrote: | No it wasn't a "wind up." It's a collection of some of the reasons I have seen on the various fora for leaving the UK.
I wanted to make the point that here the British are the immigrants, and that the similarity of their patterns of behaviour here to those seen by other nationalities in the UK should make people pause and think.
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OK so lets answer your original post but we have to break it down a little. We also have to assume that your comments are aimed at the Brits because if they are not then you need to CLEARLY SAY SO and apologize.
"Excessive immigration into France by people who have no wish to integrate, who don't bother to learn the language before they arrive, and who set up ghettos where they mix only with others who speak their language."
Although France has the highest immigrant population in Europe is has shown a steady decrease (according to French census data) and is the only EU country to do so (1) with an average decrease of 9% pa since 1990.
Unfortunately statistics are only publicly available from France in 10 year cycles (so the resource sites I used state) and the last set were in 1999. In 1999 there were 3,263.186 immigrants in France and out of these only 75,250 were from the UK which equates to about 2.3% of the total immigrants(2). Just like as in the UK France has had a lot of immigrants from its old dependencies, many of whom speak French from birth. Speaking in a different language does make you 'stick out' from others and even Brits that speak very good French are easily spotted. Thats why we are an easy target for this sort of crap.
On the whole many people want, almost to the point of desperation, to integrate. Admittedly some do better than most but then in the first couple of years they are either renovating a pile of debris (which should have been knocked down really but some cunning French chap has made a few bob on flogging it to some gullible Brit) or getting a business started.
There are some areas of France that the Brits like more than others because of many things like countryside, house prices, cheap ways of getting back to the UK etc. Very few actually pick an area because there are Brits living there, on the contrary many will go elsewhere if they think there is a Brit in the house next door. After all if we wanted to live amongst Brits we would have stayed at home. That's not good for the French economy because its the immigrants that are helping it by driving up economic activity by 2% in 2007 and forecast 2.3% in 2008. Couple that with the decrease of 9% and 8% in jobs over the same periods and the need to reduce wages and manufacturing costs its clear that the immigrants (mainly us spending money in Brico Depot 'renovating' that pile of rubbish you sold us) are playing an important part in helping the French economy (3). I would love to be able to give some hard figures but I think you will find that the extra income from Brits to local councils via Tax Habitation and helped towns out a lot. I can think of a new car park in Limoux and the promenade in Quillan where both mayors have said they could not have built them without the income from the tax's raised from the localk Brits.
Ghetto's, any Brits out there live in any, I would love to know because I have not come across any British Ghetto's.
When English people get together of course we speak English, are you fool. Do you really think the thousands of French in the UK speak English when they meet up, of course not, get a grip. One thing I can tell you that in general the English are better mannered in France as they will always speak French, even amongst themselves, when in the company of French people like playing boules, dinner parties or down the bar after rugby. Quite the opposite with the French in London that I met.
"A refusal to accept the French principal of laïcité, and attempts to impose an alien religion and observances on their communities in their own language."
One can only assume you are talking about other nationalities because there are very few English churches in France, under 20 but unfortunately the list has gone from the Embassy website in Paris. I have yet to see the Church of England hanging out on street corners trying to blag a Frenchman to join. As far as many Brits are concerned I think you will find they are in favour of the French principle of laïcité. Personally it's something I would like to see in the UK.
"Attempts at the destruction of the French identity by people who don't know about French history, don't understand how things are done here, and try to insist that it would be better if it were more like in the country of their origin."
I don't think any Brit is trying to change France, we like France as it is, that's what attracts us to it. Although we are not taught French history to the same depth as a French person I think you would be surprised at just how much French history the age group of Brits coming to France past and present do know.
This is one bit, to be fare the only bit, where I find myself agreeing a little with you although not in such a negative way. No we don't know, when we arrive, how things are done in France. However, if you think any attempts by the Brits to change things have worked I am afraid you are misinformed. In fact the biggest problem France has in Europe is its inability to change hence it's about 30 years behind.
Of course people will say "you wouldn't do that in UK or whatever country you come from" it's natural but it does not mean they want to change things. Again, I am sure the many french that live in the UK say this especially when they are told it costs nothing for their medical treatment ![Devil [6]](/cs/emoticons/emotion-14.gif) .
"Excessive house prices caused by excessive immigration, meaning that young French people can no longer buy houses in their own communities."
Well I think we have covered that in other posts. It ain't our problem mate, its the French for being greedy.
Sorry this is a bit long but it's very important to put some of your myths away else people will start to believe them.
Sources
1 - http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2002/0101france_guiraudon.aspx
2 - http://www.migrationinformation.org/datahub/countrydata/data.cfm
3 - http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1068720042861
http://www.chambresdhote.com
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