Due to Islamophobia: Muslims decide to emigrate from France

At a time when tens of thousands risk their lives for the “dream” of reaching the northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, thousands of Muslims have chosen the opposite path, deciding to return to their original countries in the southern Mediterranean. This shift comes as France, once seen as a land of opportunity, has turned into an “unbearable hell” for many Arabs and Muslims.

Among these returnees are large communities of Moroccan citizens who were born and raised in Western countries, especially France. They left everything behind in search of refuge from racism and hatred, opting to return to their ancestral homelands where they find a genuine sense of belonging and a cultural environment closer to their upbringing.

More than 1,000 French Muslims highlighted in an unprecedented social study, dubbed by French media as such, reported feeling discriminated against due to their religion, names, or origins. They expressed finding recognition denied to them in France, their birthplace, in other countries.

Muslim women are particularly affected

The increase in Islamophobia, both politically and socially, has led to the marginalization of veiled women within French society, despite their education and valuable professional skills.

Discrimination and French laws primarily targeting Muslims have often forced Muslim women to seek job opportunities outside France. Reports indicate that many French Muslims have opted to move to the UK or Arab Gulf countries.

In addition to workplace discrimination, Muslim men and women in France also face challenges in education and civil society. The ban on wearing the hijab in France prevents veiled women from attending schools, negatively impacting their professional lives and overall well-being.

Despite their desire to contribute to French society, many Muslim women are not allowed to utilize their skills and expertise in educational environments. Many of those interviewed by “Arabi Post” confirmed they chose to leave the country and pursue their careers abroad due to the widespread Islamophobia.

Those who choose to remain in France often face tough decisions, such as removing the hijab to conform to societal pressures or withdrawing from the job market due to marginalization and discrimination policies.

The state’s anti-Islam policies and discriminatory societal stance in France exacerbate the problems faced by Muslim women, who make up more than 7 million people, or about 10% of the population.

Intentional discrimination and an air of condescension prevail

Among these individuals is Nahla, a young French woman of Moroccan descent, who chose to settle in Morocco since 2019 after spending years in her country of birth and upbringing.

Explaining her decision, she said: “I left France because I could no longer tolerate the chaos there. I no longer felt in agreement with the hypocritical, deceitful, treacherous, and deviant principles of the government and its people except for a small handful of people who refuse to commit evil and reform themselves so as not to walk in the footsteps of its perpetrators.”

Nahla added with regret: “Education for our children is mixed with illusions, such as working to instill in them the theory of evolution and instilling in them the idea that we descend from monkeys. In France, greetings have become increasingly rare.”

She further stated: “Feelings of condescension have become widespread everywhere. Now they attack us, close our mosques, schools, and associations, prevent us from wearing the hijab at work… France has chosen its camp with the oppressive class.”

Fatima, a thirty-something woman, fully agrees with Nahla’s sentiments and did not hesitate to return to settle in her homeland, Morocco, describing her decision as “right.”

She told “Arabi Post”: “France is waging war against immigrants, especially Muslims. There is no future there anymore. Unemployment rates are high, and there are many taxes. Personally, I pay a lot of taxes that constantly increase, especially for us, the middle class.”

Fatima explained her reasons for leaving: “In France this year, they introduced LGBT propaganda into the school curriculum, and I cannot bear that. It is a serious danger to our children as it destroys their minds and is a total danger to our children.”

The escape from France Abdullah Zakri, President of the French Observatory Against Islamophobia, told “Arabi Post” that many Muslim families have contacted the Observatory to file complaints about discrimination within French society. Some have chosen to leave for the Emirates or even Britain, “although many of them do not speak English at all.”

According to Zakri, these individuals are educated and hold high university degrees but have found no place in French society, where Islamophobia is on the rise and the voice of the far right is growing louder.

In this context, the spokesperson explains that the Observatory has filed many complaints in court, but some have been archived without follow-up, and many face the complexity and length of the procedures.

On the other hand, Zakri points out a “strange silence at the official level,” noting, “the absence of any interaction with this rampant phenomenon; on the contrary, there is sometimes support for anti-Muslim rhetoric.”

No solutions for Muslim community problems

Observers speak of the absence of policies aimed at finding solutions for the Muslim community in France, where religious symbols, including the hijab, were banned in schools in 2004 and expanded in 2010 to include full-face veils in public places.

This deliberate policy has intensified in recent years, with the controversial Separatism Law passed by the French Parliament in 2021 serving as strong evidence. While the government claims the law targets “extremist Islam” and aims to ensure “respect for republican principles,” opponents, including French leftist parties, argue its goal is to restrict Muslims and violate their privacy.

According to many sociologists, hypotheses underlying various theories on return migration determinants are diverse and varied.

While classical theory associates return migration with integration failure in the host country, labor migration economics view return as a logical stage after migrants acquire sufficient skills and knowledge to invest in their home countries. In this case, return migration is seen as a measure of success.

Return migration… failure or success?

Although migration studies traditionally focused on migration to Western countries, return migration has recently garnered increased attention.

However, much academic writing on the subject has focused on the contribution return migrants can make to economic development in their home countries.

There has been relatively little research on the individual factors and contexts that determine return migration, explaining why most political measures taken to encourage it have failed.

Karim, a thirty-something man, left France where he was born and raised in 2014 for Canada due to issues related to structural racism, in addition to what he termed secular persecution. In his view, France has become a mirror image of Iran in the opposite direction.

Karim explained: “I appreciate that for three generations, French Muslims, after fighting for its liberation, made great sacrifices to rebuild it without benefiting from the same social rights enjoyed by its original citizens. Now, the government is empowering them with important leadership positions and giving priority to their educated elite. I have come to the conclusion that this country does not deserve all that I have done for it, and it is clear that I am not alone.”

“An environment hostile to our values.”

After settling with his family in Canada, Karim plans to live in Morocco starting in 2025, explaining to “Arabi Post”: “Our situation here is not bad financially, as my wife and I are executives living a comfortable life. However, the main reason pushing us to leave is the education of our children.”

He added: “LGBT propaganda, the decline in the quality of education, and the difficulty of controlling what is taught to our children through school curricula in an environment that can be described as hostile to our values made us not hesitate to make the decision. In addition, the country has experienced a sharp deterioration in public services in recent years, especially health services.”

Speaking to “Arabi Post,” he said: “We hesitated between Morocco or a Gulf country, but we settled on Morocco because it now offers the possibility of enjoying a decent life, such as social security availability, basic infrastructure, booming healthcare services, Moroccan private school quality, entertainment, and quality transportation.”

On the other hand, Karim said, “Among the main reasons that prompted us to settle in Morocco is the desire for our children to grow up in a suitable environment, facilitating their learning of their language, culture, and protecting them from the decadence of Western civilization.”

He continued: “In contrast to the speed at which the world is changing, where materialistic thinking has become the main measure of success, we also have a moral duty to our homeland, which deserves it. Moreover, Western hypocrisy, which became evident during the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, confirmed to us the reality of these countries claiming to be keen on principles and values.”