Aurélien Fleurot, edited by Manon Fossat 2:56 p.m., November 10, 2021, modified at 2:59 p.m., November 10, 2021

A study by the Economic Analysis Council (CEA) on the economic aspect of immigration published on Tuesday recommends France to rethink its policy in this area. According to the organization, the country welcomes low-skilled immigrants, which has almost no effect on public finances. According to this report, there would therefore be everything to gain from, for example, setting up a points system, as is the case in Canada.

In France, immigration is low and low-skilled.

This is the main lesson of a study by the Economic Analysis Council (CEA) published on Tuesday.

This survey, devoted to the economic aspect of immigration, recalls, among other things, that France is a country which receives far fewer immigrants than the average for OECD countries.

It also emphasizes the many efforts to be made to attract more qualified workers.

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The initial observation is in fact that skilled immigration is always a vector of growth.

For the economists behind the study, in the public debate in France, the theme of immigration is mainly seen through the prism of identity and security aspects, but the economic issues are never discussed.

0.41% of the population in 2019

In France, the flow of arrivals in 2019 represented 0.41% of the population, which is half the average for OECD countries.

On the other hand, it is a question of low-skilled immigration, coming to 70% from the African continent and which is concentrated in the large metropolises.

Among the other points highlighted by this study, the fact that immigration has almost no effect on wages or public finances.

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The Economic Analysis Council therefore encourages rethinking migration policy in several ways.

First, by responding precisely to the needs of businesses, in particular by updating the list of shortage occupations much more often.

He also proposes to set up a points system to obtain a visa, a more transparent and efficient system that has proven its worth in Canada.

Finally, the CEA encourages facilitating the transition between studies and employment.