Rights Defender Report: Young People in France Experience Cumulative Discrimination

The Rights Defender's Office (Défenseure des droits) in France published a report on Thursday, February 26, 2026, alarming about the pervasive and cumulative discrimination faced daily by young immigrants and people of immigrant background. The document, based in part on research by the National Institute of Youth and Popular Education, indicates that about one quarter of individuals from these groups experienced discrimination related to skin color, origin, or nationality in the last five years. Defender Claire Hédon emphasized the importance of the problem, arguing that „when we discriminate, we harm our social cohesion” and called for this topic to become a „political priority”. The report details in how many areas of life young people encounter barriers. In the area of education, inequalities are often „unconscious” and have a „systemic” character, manifested, among other things, by a lack of social mix in some schools or stereotypical approaches by teachers, illustrated in the report by the example of a girl who was assigned to read a book about slavery because she „obviously” knew the topic. Another critical area is the labor market. The latest barometer concerning the perception of discrimination in employment, published in December 2025, shows drastic differences. As many as 41% of young people perceived as Black, Arab, or Maghrebi declared discrimination while looking for work, and 33% during their career. For comparison, among young people perceived as white, these rates are 18% and 27%, respectively. 41% — Young people perceived as Black, Arab, or Maghrebi declare discrimination when looking for work The problems do not end with school and work. The report also points to difficulties in accessing housing. Young people complain about their applications being rejected by landlords who perceive them as foreigners or residents of so-called priority neighborhoods. Another common obstacle is landlords demanding a security deposit, which constitutes an additional financial barrier for people with more modest incomes. The accumulation of these experiences – in education, the labor market, the housing market, and also during police checks – creates an effect of „double-triple-quadruple-social-penalty” and hinders integration. The report is therefore not only a diagnosis but also a clear call for concrete, systemic action by French authorities, which should counteract these phenomena and strengthen equal opportunities for all citizens, regardless of their origin.