UN Slams "Insidious" Racism in France

"Young people's hopes and dreams are being denied; they see no possibility of upward mobility because of their skin color, their religion, their surname or their address," said McDougall.

"Racism is alive, insidious and clearly targeted at those 'visible' minorities of immigrant heritage, the majority of whom are French citizens," UN independent expert on minority issues Gay J. McDougall said in a report drawn up following a 10-day fact-finding mission to France, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"People who have worked hard, played by all the rules and truly believe in the principles of the French republic are trapped in socially and geographically isolated urban ghettos, with unemployment in some areas over 40 per cent."

McDougall, who travelled to poor, high-immigration suburbs of Paris, Marseille in the south and Strasbourg in the east that were hit by riots in 2005, is to report back to the UN Human Rights Council in March.

"Young people's hopes and dreams are being denied; they see no possibility of upward mobility because of their skin colour, their religion, their surname or their address" in a high-immigration suburbs, she charged.

She said France views "the recognition of minority groups as incompatible with the French constitution and the principles of the republic, which prioritize individual rights, equality, unity and universalism."

In 2005, thousands of French youths of African and Arab origin took to the streets in destructive riots to tell the government "enough is enough."

The deaths of two youths fleeing police ignited pent up frustrations among the youths at racism, unemployment, their marginal place in French society and their treatment by the police.

Anti-racism groups also say discrimination is widespread in the French job market.

The Paris-based anti-racism group SOS-Racism has said some French recruitment companies are applying racist policies and ethnic profiling in hiring jobseekers as they are used to filtering out non-white candidates.

A 2005 Sorbonne research by the French Observatory Against Racism found that names and dark complexion represent an obstacle to jobseekers.

Dozens of French Muslims and Arabs have reportedly changed their names to French ones to spare themselves police and employers' discrimination.

There is no official number of people of African origin in France as laws ban census based on ethnic or religious grounds.

"Mixed Messages"

McDougall accused French politicians of sending out "mixed messages" to ethnic minorities.

Such messages helped "generate a general climate of suspicion and negativity against those of immigrant origin," she said.

"They feel discriminated against and rejected by rigid notions of French national identity to which they do not conform," she said.

The UN official cited the creation by President Nicolas Sarkozy of a new ministry of immigration and national identity.

"France stands at a turning point, and without committed, unambiguous leadership at the highest level, it will not take the best road," she said.

"Everyone needs to understand that the government is against discrimination and for equality."

Reaching out to France's immigrants and the Muslim minority, Sarkozy named in May Rachida Dati, of North African origin, to the key post of justice minister to join a broad-based cabinet including leftists and socialists.

No sooner had she assumed office than she came under a smear campaign by right-wing media and "jealous" politicians, who cannot swallow a Muslim woman of poor ethnic background holding such a prestigious post, according to Britain's Times newspaper.