Browse Topics
Tools
Editor's choice

Mysterious City of Gods comes to City of Light

Some 450 pre-Columbian pieces in Quai Branly museum.

France country factbook

Includes geography, people, government, economy and transnational issues.

Scandals from the 'The Wild West of Politics'

Basil Howitt on criminal investigations in the coastal resorts.

Renting in Paris

Useful information on renting accommodation in Paris.

Moving your marriage abroad

Relocating can have a big impact on your relationship.

Internaxx Stock Market
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2119.3 0.50
DAX 5252.45 1.50
IBEX 30 10726.8 0.59
CAC 40 3377.59 1.40
FTSE 100 4564.5 0.79
AEX 276.85 0.95
DJIA 9096.72 -0.13
Nasdaq 1975.51 0.39
FTSE MIB 20341.67 1.65
TSX Composite 10570.54 -1.74
ASX 4148.9 -0.60
Hang seng 20135.5 -2.37
Straits Times 0.00
ISEQ 20 442.48 0.27
You are here: Home Leisure Arts & Culture France gets new immigration museum

11/10/2007France gets new immigration museum

A new museum celebrating the role of immigration in French history opened amid a fierce row over plans to introduce DNA tests for would-be immigrants.

11 October 2007

PARIS (AFP) - A new Paris museum celebrating the role of immigration in French history opened to the public Wednesday amid a fierce row over plans by President Nicolas Sarkozy's government to introduce DNA tests for would-be immigrants.

Located on the eastern edge of Paris, the National Museum on the History of Immigration was championed by former president Jacques Chirac but historians involved have been at loggerheads with the new government over the whole issue.

Although Chirac was to visit the site Thursday and Culture Minister Christine Albanel to make an appearance on Wednesday, there are no plans for a formal ribbon-cutting, opening ceremony -- seen by some as a snub to the new venture.

"This is France's Ellis Island. It would have been natural for the president to honour it with his presence," said historian Patrick Weil, referring to the former immigration gateway to the United States, now home to a museum.

Weil and eight other historians resigned this year from the museum's governing body in protest at Sarkozy's creation of a ministry of immigration and national identity, seen as a bid to court the anti-immigrant vote.

They have also joined the chorus of protest, from left-wing critics, religious leaders and some members of the ruling right, against a bill currently going through parliament that would allow DNA testing for immigrants wishing to join relatives in France.

The opening came a day after a left-wing member of Sarkozy's government, Urban Affairs Minister Fadela Amara, threatened to resign in protest over the toughening of French immigration policy.

"Speaking as an immigrant's daughter, I've had enough of seeing immigration exploited all the time ... I think it's disgusting," said Amara, who is of Algerian origin.

0 reactions to this article

Inside Expatica
Do the recent healthcare changes affect you?

Do the recent healthcare changes affect you?

Our expert Steven Grover delves into the murky waters of French healthcare for expats and asks how recent changes affect them?

Assurance Vie - An expatriate’s guide

Assurance Vie - An expatriate’s guide

Tax and estate planning figure prominently in the list of priorities of many financially secure expatriate residents of France.

Clubs, groups and associations in France

Clubs, groups and associations in France

From Gaelic clubs to Canadian Alumni organisations, there is bound to be an English-speaking club for you in France.

Should I buy or rent in France?

Should I buy or rent in France?

This is what you need to consider when making an early choice between purchasing or renting accommodation in France.