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This country research report focuses on housing solutions for refugees and beneficiaries of international protection status in France. It is delivered under the H2020 project MERGING—Integration for Migrants. The main aims of this report are:• Provide a synthesis of the main legal structures existing in France delineated by targets (all arrivals, newly arrivals, refugees, vulnerable groups),• Classify policies depending on their scope,• Present the main debates in public policies about access to housing and access to the rest of social rights,• Identify tools developed in public policies to fight discrimination,• Describe the main tendencies in public policies devoted to social inclusion for immigrants during the last 10 years approximately,• Summarize the main ideological changes experienced in the last 10 years.The basic time frame of the analysis covers the years 2015-2021, however, where necessary we refer to previous years (e.g., important articles that shaped the field, political decisions and policy changes).The approaches and definitions applied in this report are broad. Indeed, one of the objectives of WP2 is to gather enough knowledge to develop a good understanding about the realities of housing for migrants in Europe. This step will allow us to identify a specific target population for the project. Consequently, the focus is on people who were forced to leave their domestic country, having or not an official status, or an international protection. This includes asylum seekers, refugees, temporary protection, etc.The structure of this country report includes several key parts, the first of which is this introduction outlining a framework for further consideration and embedding it in the context of the MERGING project and its WP2. It is followed by a presentation of the main legal structures existing in France (legal texts, organizations and responsible actors), 2) a classification of policies based on their scope and 3) a presentation of the main debates related to access to housing and social rights. Particular attention will be paid to identify tools created to fight discrimination, as well as the main trends in public policies devoted to social inclusion for immigrants since 2011. The report will conclude on a synthesis on the most important ideological changes experienced in the last 10 years.The next sessions provide a brief overview of our methodology, followed by a presentation of the characteristics and specificities of the French context regarding migrants’ access to housing.

Given that access to adequate housing is a universal right and constitutes an important path towards integration in host societies, this second Word Paquet aims to review and analyze inclusion policies, placing special emphasis on those that guarantee or favor access to housing. In order to achieve it, it has been divided in the following objectives: • Review international agreements that contemplate the right of access to housing within the United Nations. • Review the agreements of the European Union in which the right of access to housing refers • Analyze in the four partner countries of the project, to what extent access to housing for newcomers (immigrants and refugees) is considered and integrated into public policies at three levels: - State laws such as immigration laws, laws for the integration of immigrants, reception laws for asylum seekers, etc. - Regulations and norms established by regional governments that favor access to housing. - Analyze the existence of local government policies with derived competencies in the area of housing.

This work is the country research report prepared within Work Package 2, focused on housing solutions for refugees and beneficiaries of international protection status in France, delivered under the H2020 project MERGING—Integration for Migrants. The main objectives of this report are to: • Provide a synthesis of the main legal structures existing in France delineated by targets. • Classify policies depending on their scope, • Present the main debates in public policies about access to housing and access to the rest of social rights, • Identify tools developed in public policies to fight discrimination, • Describe the main tendencies in public policies devoted to social inclusion for immigrants during the last 10 years approximately, • Summarize the main ideological changes experienced in the last 10 years. Our report describes the multilevel governance existing in France regarding migrants’ access to housing, and collaboration existing between national and local institutions. The wide array of existing solutions is marked by its heterogeneity: some offering short-term to long-term stay, being destinated to all or specific migrants, etc. Our report also highlights the security shift engaged by the successive governments in reaction to the migrations flows. Successive reforms made access to housing and social rights more complex for migrants – increasing the gap between “desirable” and “undesirable” migrants. The quasi absence of tools designed to fight against discrimination is often pointed by the European Court of Human Rights, and the country is often condemned for institutional discrimination. Interestingly, however, a rising number of initiatives are emerging at the local level to find suitable and sustainable solutions to integrate migrants. The creation of two inter-ministerial delegations dedicated to housing and asylum seekers denote a recent effort of the government to better collaborate with local actors.

In relation to our analysis of the International and European regulatory frameworks on the right to housing we have identified challenges related to the different legal categorizations of immigrants which result in exclusion from the right to housing and in increased barriers to integration. From the analysis we conducted in the four countries we have gathered many interesting results. France, although has a rather centralized administration, presents a typical example of the local turn in migration policymaking in the sense that immigrant integration initiatives, including housing, take place increasingly at the subnational level. In Italy there is 5 MERGING-D7.1 a similar situation although it is notable how divergent responses occur at the different local contexts. In Spain the local level is also in the center of housing policies implementation. The big cities in Spain have been fostering their own approach and collaborating in providing refuge both with each other and with the civil society. In Sweden although integration policies are the responsibility of the local governments, we see an opposite trend towards more central government control. Overall, in terms of governance we have concluded that the local level in all of the countries has a better sense of the housing needs but not always enough resources or political will to address them. The common denominator for all cases is the important role of NGOs in housing and integration policies. The activities of NGOs have clearly improved integration policies implementation and have filled governmental gaps in providing housing for refugees. At the same time as research shows the increased role for NGOs in migration policy making comes with challenges alongside solutions. Related to the work of NGOs, and often facilitated by them, is the wider inclusion of the society during the process of immigrant integration. We have recorded examples of hosting or co-housing initiatives which can offer larger insights on the link between housing and integration. Housing is more than a space to stay, it is also about being part of a community and therefore living together or close to the members of the society can facilitate integration.

This work is the country research report prepared within Work Package 2, focused on housing solutions for refugees and beneficiaries of international protection status in France, delivered under the H2020 project MERGING—Integration for Migrants. The main objectives of this report are to: • Provide a synthesis of the main legal structures existing in France delineated by targets. • Classify policies depending on their scope, • Present the main debates in public policies about access to housing and access to the rest of social rights, • Identify tools developed in public policies to fight discrimination, • Describe the main tendencies in public policies devoted to social inclusion for immigrants during the last 10 years approximately, • Summarize the main ideological changes experienced in the last 10 years. Our report describes the multilevel governance existing in France regarding migrants’ access to housing, and collaboration existing between national and local institutions. The wide array of existing solutions is marked by its heterogeneity: some offering short-term to long-term stay, being destinated to all or specific migrants, etc. Our report also highlights the security shift engaged by the successive governments in reaction to the migrations flows. Successive reforms made access to housing and social rights more complex for migrants – increasing the gap between “desirable” and “undesirable” migrants. The quasi absence of tools designed to fight against discrimination is often pointed by the European Court of Human Rights, and the country is often condemned for institutional discrimination. Interestingly, however, a rising number of initiatives are emerging at the local level to find suitable and sustainable solutions to integrate migrants. The creation of two inter-ministerial delegations dedicated to housing and asylum seekers denote a recent effort of the government to better collaborate with local actors.