French Anti-Discrimination NGO Files Complaints Against 37 Entreprises

Rabat – French anti-racism association – Maison des Potes – has filed complaints against 37 companies that it believes have posted discriminatory job offers.

NGO Maison des Potes took legal action at the end of March against companies operating in the cities of Paris, Nanterre, Toulouse, and Marseille, the association’s president Samuel Thomas told French press agency AFP on Thursday.

The 42 complaints concern medium and large-sized French companies.

Thomas explained that the offers discriminate against non-French citizens, or in some cases individuals not holding citizenship in at least one country within the Schengen area.

According to the association, people who do not hold citizenship in France or another country in the Schengen area – most countries in western Europe – do not meet the requirements to be considered for certain job roles.

But enterprises working in the defense, telecommunication, ecology, and energy sectors have argued that employees must have French or Schengen citizenship to be able to deal with classified information related to national security.

These measures extend to employees in roles such as painters and cleaners within these companies.

Thomas refuted the companies’ argument, adding that “a foreigner does not by nature represent a risk.”

He also recalled a prior case of telecommunication company Cegetel-SFR that received a €200,000 fine for distributing a similar job offer in 2009.

Discrimination in France

Discrimination remains at the heart of political and social debates in France.

French politicians have often called for negative discriminatory measures against some migrants as part of their electoral campaign. These campaigns aim to appeal to social groups fearful of the ongoing flows of north African and sub-Saharan migrants.

This year’s French Presidential election which is set to start on April 10 is no exception.

Twelves politicians are taking part in the election with President Emmanuel Macron leading the polls just ahead of far-right and anti-immigration leader Marine Le Pen.,

Socialist Jean-Luc Melenchon is polled as the third most popular candidate, Valerie Pecresse fourth, and controversial far-right figure Eric Zemmour fifth.

Macron, Le Pen, and Zemmour are renowned for topping news headlines for their Islamophobic and anti-immigration statements, triggering waves of outcry among immigrant communities in France.

Among the latest controversies, candidate Eric Zemmour threatened to seize the assets of African leaders and block the outflow of remittances – money sent from France to Africa – if the continent’s leaders refuse or fail to repatriate their nationals.

Even far-right advocate Le Pen called the proposal “anti-republican” while refraining from labeling it racist.