[extropy-chat] Re: riots in France

[Amara Graps]

Fred Moulton
>I think we should avoid focusing on this as just a "Muslim" issue.  From
>the news reports I have seen it is more complex.  One feature to
>consider is the differences in government policy in housing, work
>regulations and taxation.

I agree, I think it's missing most of the picture to see the focus
on "Muslim".  In addition to my previous post on immigration in France

( http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/2005-November/021679.html ),

I dug up this next article about the French citizenship requirements. It
looks not too different from Swiss citizenship requirements, which in
my view are excessively rigid. In both of these countries, being born
in that country does not automatically give citizenship. Here's a site
I found that says more: (corrected a few of their typos and the writer
does not have a fluent grasp of English, unfortunately)

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French citizenship Requirements

http://www.euskosare.org/euskal_herria/euskal_herrian_bizi/french_nationality

  Conditions to obtain the nationality :

By filiation

     * French is the son, legitimate or illegitimate with, at least,
     one of its parents being of french nationality.
     * The filiation of the child has no effect on its nationality if
     it is not established while being a minor.
     * The sole fact of being born in france does not confer
     nationality, except for the children of unknown parents or
     stateless.
     * The son born in france before january 1994 with at least one
     parent born in the ancient overseas french territory (before its
     independency) is also considered a french citizen.


By reason of birth and residence in france

As from september 1st. 1998, every child of foreign parents born in
france acquires french nationality at his majority if he is living in
France and if he has lived in france, in a continuous or discontinuous
way al least five years (starting at the age of 11 years).

Under certain circumstances, nationality can be acquired beforehand
starting a from sixteen years.

French nationality can also be demanded under certain circumstances by
the name of the minor as from the age of thirteen years, always under
his personal consent.

This situation affects the children of foreigners born in france
which, starting with the application of said law (september 1st.,
1998) have three possibilities:

    1. If they desire only to maintain the foreign nationality, they
    can renounce to the french nationality before the competent french
    authorities during the six precedent months or during the twelve
    months that follow their majority.
    2. If they desire to maintain the foreign nationality and acquire
    the french nationality it is advisable to request for this last
    before their majority of age.
    3. In case the interested party that fulfills the requirements of
    the first paragraph does not carry out any of the beforementioned
    proceedings french law will automatically grant them this
    nationality at their majority of age.


By marriage to a french citizen

French nationality can be agreed by declaration before the instance
judge or the french consul (if the interested party lives abroad) to
each foreigner or stateless which marries a person of french
nationality.

This benefit can be solicited a year after the marriage was
celebrated, and under the condition that the couple keeps living
together and the french consort has not lost that nationality.


By naturalization

The requests for naturalization of residents in france are competence
of public organizations at the place of origin for the constitution of
the file, and at the ministry of employment for final decision.

Foreigners can be naturalized if they can prove residence in France
during the five preceding years of the request.

A person which does not reside in France at the moment of the firm of
the decree cannot be naturalized.

For residence it is understood a fixed residence that present a stable
and permanent character, coincident with the centre of material
interests and family bonds .

Children of those people who acquire french nationality become french
with full rights if they have the same residence as their parents.


Necessary documentation for the obtention of double nationality

     * Integral copy of marriage certificate or of its transcription
     (for marriages celebrated out of France a duly translated and
     legalized certificate has to be presented).
     * Copy of berth certificate of the french consort.
     * Copy of birth certificate of the foreign consort accompanied of
     traduction effected by a public judged translator.
     * Evidence of french nationality of the french consort : the birth
     certificate is sufficient for the persons born in france with at
     least one of his parents also born in France.

In other cases, the documents demanded depend on the origin of french
nationality of the interested party , naturalization decree, collective
effect , etc. A french nationality certificate could occasionally be
demanded when the verification of the french nationality should be
difficult.

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The next is a good set of citizen references for many countries (but
not for France) if you are curious. I think that citizenship and
immigration laws are an important factor in guessing the
'dissatisfaction' of foreign people living there.

Internet Law Library: Immigration, Nationality and citizenship law
http://www.lawguru.com/ilawlib/104.htm

-- 

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Amara Graps, PhD          email: amara at amara.com
Computational Physics     vita:  ftp://ftp.amara.com/pub/resume.txt
Multiplex Answers         URL:   http://www.amara.com/
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