The vast majority of French citizens, including many on the left, believe the growing feeling of insecurity across the country and mass immigration are intrinsically linked, new polling has revealed.
According to a poll conducted by CSA for CNews, Europe 1, and JDD, 68 percent of respondents see a correlation between immigration and the rise in delinquency in France.
The link is widely recognized among right-wing voters, with 94 percent of Republican supporters and 93 percent of those aligned with the National Rally acknowledging such a link. However, a significant minority of those who support pro-immigration left-wing parties also share this concern.
A total of 43 percent of Socialist Party supporters, 38 percent of La France Insoumise (LFI) voters, and 34 percent of Green supporters share the view that high immigration is destabilizing France’s security.
The link is also widely accepted by voters of French President Emmanuel Macron’s governing Renaissance party, with 68 percent of his supporters agreeing there is a link.
Women are more likely than men to agree that immigration is affecting national security, with 70 percent of females agreeing with the statement compared to 67 percent of males.
Similarly, older people view mass immigration less favorably, with 76 percent of those aged 50 and over acknowledging its negative effect on the country, although a majority in every age bracket concurs with that view.
Immigration is a leading issue in France ahead of the European elections taking place later this week and a topic right-wing politicians like Marine Le Pen, Jordan Bardella, and Éric Zemmour are campaigning hard on.
Le Pen and Bardella’s National Rally is expected to dominate the elections and emerge as France’s largest party in the European Parliament, suggesting its hardline approach to mass immigration is resonating with the electorate.
The party’s successes have led to a tactical shift from previous establishment parties, including the center-right Republicans. When asked recently about the links between mass immigration and national insecurity, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy replied, “Who can seriously say that there aren’t any? This does not naturally mean that a foreigner is a delinquent. But of course, the link is obvious.”
“The number of foreigners in our prisons and the part they take in delinquency in general are clear. To deny it is nothing more than a new denial of reality,” he added.
Last August, President Macron said the country needed to “reduce immigration significantly, starting with illegal immigration,” warning the current arrival rate was “not sustainable.”
This followed remarks by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin a year prior revealing that half of criminal acts in the largest French cities are committed by foreign nationals.
Polling conducted in December last year showed French citizens remained disillusioned with the government’s open-door immigration policy, with 80 percent of respondents supporting a ban on immigration and nearly two-thirds backing a referendum on the issue.