How do Muslims living in France feel about their country?

The subject of Muslim integration in France is one of the country’s most hotly debated issues. But how do Muslims themselves feel about their home country? A new survey offers some insight.

Muslims living in France feel a stronger attachment to their country than they do in much of Europe, despite experiencing high levels of discrimination.

That was one of the key findings of a new survey that looked at Musliims across Europe. The survey also found that  first generation Muslims feel more attached to France than their offspring.

This generational difference in feeling towards their country is greater in France than anywhere in Europe.

These are just some of the discoveries made by a recent survey by the Vienna-based EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) which surveyed 10,527 first and second-generation Muslims living in Europe.

• Muslims in France feel a high level of attachment to their country 

Muslims with French citizenship feel very attached to France, with Muslims rating their level of attachment at 4.3 on a scale of five.

That meant they were ranked fourth out of 15 EU member states.

Among the other 14 countries surveyed, the level of attachment is highest among Muslims surveyed in Finland (4.6), Sweden (4.4), the United Kingdom (4.3), France (4.3) and Belgium (4.2).

The countries with the lowest scores are Italy (3.3), the Netherlands (3.4), Austria (3.5) and Greece (3.6).

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• First generation Muslims feel more attached to France than their offspring

While generally across Europe it’s first generation immigrants who feel less attached to their adopted country, in France the roles are reversed, with their children feeling less attached.

France also showed the biggest difference in opinion on attachment between first and second generation Muslims.

This trend is even more pronounced when it comes to trust in the police.

• Trust in police 

Muslims surveyed in France and Belgium also showed lower than average levels of trust in the police.

On a scale of 1-10, the average response from Muslims in France was 6. This compares poorly to Finland – where the highest levels of trust are exhibited, at 8.4.

Trust in police also higher in Britain and Germany, at 6.6 and 6.7 respectively.

It’s important to note that the survey interviews were conducted during a time period that included major terrorist attacks in Belgium and France, which prompted an increase in police surveillance and identity checks.

Nevertheless, it was in the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium where the lowest levels of trust were seen.

• Muslims of North African experience high levels of discrimination in France

When it came to Muslim respondents from North Africa alone, France scored high on countries where they feel most discriminated against. A shocking thirty-one percent of respondents from North Africa said they had experienced discrimination in the past year, a figure which rose to 46 percent when taking into account the past five years. France fell just behind the Netherlands  at 49 percent and Italy at 33 percent.

• Muslims from North Africa vs. Muslims from Sub-Saharan Africa

For Muslim respondents with Sub-Saharan African backgrounds in Denmark, France, Finland, Malta, Italy, and Sweden, their skin colour or physical appearance is the reason they face discrimination when they look for work or at the work place itself. But for North Africans in France, the Netherlands and Belgium, and France, they believe it’s their name that causes people to discriminate.

Awareness of country’s anti-discrimination legislation