The topic of immigration is a major focus of political discussion in the country leading up to the presidential elections, with candidates from both the right and left taking firm stances. The recent tragic incident of 27 migrants drowning off France's northern coast has intensified the debate on the need for immigration control. Despite strong rhetoric from politicians, the reality is that France actually has a lower proportion of immigrants compared to its neighboring countries. Over the past decade, immigration has increased at a slower rate in France than in other parts of Europe and the world. According to migration expert François Héran, France's immigration situation is relatively average and moderate. Politicians in France are considering measures to restrict immigration, such as imposing a moratorium, holding a referendum, or closing borders, despite the fact that the country is not heavily affected by immigration. This is in contrast to countries like Germany and Australia, which are actively seeking migrant workers to address labor shortages caused by the pandemic. In response to worker shortages in sectors like hospitality and construction, some politicians are proposing to increase wages rather than allowing more immigrants into the country. Discussions about immigration in France often focus on national identity, with concerns about preserving traditional French identity in the face of Muslim immigrants from Africa. Terrorist attacks in recent years, some carried out by second-generation immigrants, have further fueled fears about immigration's impact on French society. These issues have had a cumulative impact in France, making any support for immigration a risky political move, hindering necessary reforms to attract skilled foreign workers, and turning the country, once a global hub, inwards. According to Philippe Corcuff, an expert on the far right at the Institute of Political Studies in Lyon, France is entering a new phase characterized by the collapse of the left's stance on immigration and the increasing influence of the extreme right in shaping the political debate. Candidates from the centre-right Republicans party agree on the importance of regaining control of borders and restricting immigrants' access to social benefits. One candidate, Michel Barnier, has even suggested amending the constitution to allow for a temporary halt on immigration. On the left, while most candidates have chosen not to address the issue, a former economy minister has proposed blocking remittances sent by migrants through Western Union to countries that refuse to repatriate their citizens living in France illegally. The suggestion came after President Emmanuel Macron recently declared his intention to address the issue by reducing the number of visas granted to residents of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. On the extreme right, Éric Zemmour, a writer and TV personality who announced his candidacy for next year's presidential elections on Tuesday, has warned that France's Christian heritage is in danger due to immigration from Muslim countries. Zemmour stated that France must not allow itself to be taken over or replaced. With Zemmour's candidacy, the previously taboo subject of the "great replacement" conspiracy theory, which accuses politicians like Macron of using immigration to replace white, Christian individuals, has entered the election conversation. Zemmour criticized past French administrations for concealing "the truth of our replacement" and claimed that Macron aims to merge France with Europe and Africa. In a recent televised debate, while center-right candidates were reluctant to fully endorse the theory - which has been associated with white supremacist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, and El Paso, Texas - they acknowledged that the issue of replacement is a significant problem facing France. A recent poll found that 61% of French respondents believe that Europe's white and Christian population will be replaced by Muslim immigrants. This contrasts with Germany, where immigration was not a major issue in recent elections, despite the country being a leader in accepting refugees. According to Jean-Christophe Dumont of the OECD, France has an obsession with immigration despite not being a major destination for immigrants. France's immigrant population in 2020 was 13%, below the OECD average. The percentage of immigrants in Germany's population increased by 16% between 2010 and 2020, while in France, there was a 30% increase in immigrants during the same period. France stopped accepting large numbers of workers from northern Africa in the mid-1970s, coinciding with the rise of the far-right National Front, now known as the National Rally. Immigration in France has shifted towards foreign students and family-linked arrivals rather than migrant workers. Auriol, the economist, stated that immigrants are now being accepted to join their spouses, rather than solely for work purposes. The consequence is that France's immigrant population is not as varied as that of other wealthy countries. Over 40% of immigrants in 2019 came from Africa, specifically Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, according to government statistics. This lack of diversity, along with the clustering of new immigrants in cities like Paris, contributes to concerns about immigration, as noted by historian Patrick Weil, who teaches at Panthéon-Sorbonne University and Yale. Unlike in the US, where anti-immigrant sentiment was a factor in Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, immigration in France, linked to its colonial past in Algeria and other Muslim countries, is a more contentious issue. Weil also highlights the connection between immigration and religion in France, which is not as pronounced in the United States. Auriol, the economist, stated that fears about immigration and threats to France's Christian heritage from the right wing make it challenging to discuss reforming immigration policies to attract qualified foreign immigrants. She believes that current immigration policies hinder economic growth and recovery from the pandemic. Auriol mentioned that while some minor changes have been made recently, they are not enough to draw in the motivated, skilled immigrants that France needs for innovation. She also noted that France struggles to attract citizens from other European Union countries and has difficulty retaining foreign students after they graduate, due to the anti-immigrant sentiment in the country. She mentioned that in the 20th century, Paris attracted talented individuals from all over the world who made significant contributions to France's economic, scientific, and cultural achievements. France was known for being an open country at that time. The speaker expressed concern about the current situation and wondered what had caused the change.