One in three French Muslims say suffer discrimination, report shows

"Seven percent of those interviewed said they had suffered discrimination based on religion during the past five years, compared to just five percent in 2016, it said. The rate was highest among people of Muslim heritage. Up to 34 percent of Muslims - or people perceived as Muslims - said they had been discriminated against, compared to 19 percent for other religions including Judaism and Buddhism, and just four percent among Christians."

"Discrimination could lead to exclusion, especially for Muslim women wearing a headscarf, the report said. READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Does France really have a hijab ban?✎ "Stigmatised in public spaces, they face restrictions on their careers," it said. That could include being forced to give up jobs, accept positions for which they are overqualified, or turn to community businesses or self-employment when they cannot find a job, it said, noting they were also sometimes banned from playing sport."

France has a significant Muslim population largely from former colonies in North Africa. French law bans collecting data on race, ethnicity or religion, limiting official statistics on discrimination. A 2024 survey of 5,000 people representative of France found 7% experienced religious discrimination in the past five years, up from 5% in 2016. Rates were highest among people of Muslim heritage: up to 34% overall, 38% for Muslim women and 31% for Muslim men. Discrimination contributes to career restrictions, forced job changes, self-employment or community businesses, and occasional bans from playing sport. Laïcité has been used to justify bans on visible religious symbols in some public spheres.

Read at The Local France