Already victims of discrimination in hiring, young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods are worried about the political context

As open racism increases in France and the National Rally could gain access to Matignon on Sunday, those who were already suffering discrimination are worried about the consequences.

From insults on social networks to posters stuck on the doors of buildings: racist acts and remarks have been increasing since the European elections and during this legislative election campaign. This “release” of speech and the possible arrival of the National Rally in power, particularly worry those who were already suffering discrimination, particularly in their professional life. Franceinfo observed this in the offices of Mozaïk RH, in Paris. This recruitment and support firm helps thousands of young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods to enter the job market each year.

Aymen, 20, is one of the young people supported by Mozaïk RH in his search for internships and work-study programs. In recent weeks, he has felt racism rising around him: “It’s more direct with the current political situation, I feel a little more pronounced looks towards me or towards members of my family, for example, women who are veiled. There are more words spoken, etc.” A Muslim from a working-class neighborhood in Paris, this computer science student had already suffered discrimination before the elections.

Aymen is currently doing an internship at Mozaïk RH, having failed to find work in his field, despite the many CVs he sent: “I really dug everywhere and I didn’t get any answers. I didn’t get any direct feedback from companies, but hey… There’s my first name, there’s my face, there’s the mention that my university is in Montreuil. It’s obvious, there’s no denying it: there’s racism in France and in a lot of countries. I think that’s one of the factors that made it hard for me to find.” Aymen is now worried about his future: “If racist speech or racist acts increase, it might be a little more difficult to find work-study because recruiters might be more open to this kind of thing.”

“When you feel this kind of permanent tension in the country where you were born, where you went to school, where you have friends, where you worked, etc. You experience it badly”

Aymen, student

to franceinfo

Aymen confides that he wonders if he has a place here, if he will one day leave France: “Even if the National Rally does not come to power, if it becomes more and more difficult to live here, that worries me.” Faced with these difficulties of the young people he supports, Saïd Hammouche, the founding president of Mozaïk RH, fears seeing all his work swept away. : “When we created Mozaïk RH, we were already in an atmosphere, in the 2000s, where we had unexplained unemployment rates in these neighborhoods. The situation has improved and today, I have the feeling that we are going to go backwards. Xenophobia and racism are on the rise. Anti-Muslim acts will accelerate and the consequence is that we will have more and more unemployment in these most fragile areas.”

But “We will not give up, we will mobilize for young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods, whatever the political outcome of the elections on Sunday”underlines the founding president of the recruitment and support firm. But with what means? Mozaïk RH is a member of the Collectif de l’Ascenseur. This group brings together organizations and associations that work for the inclusion of young people. Most receive public funding for their actions.

If the National Rally comes to power, Mathilde Boulay, the general delegate of this collective, fears budget cuts. “Depending on the election results, these are fundings that could be either completely cut or partially cut. We know that we will not be a priority in the RN program. In addition to the daily life that will get worse for these young people, we are worried about our ability to support them. Knowing that we are already dealing with a public that encounters a certain number of cumulative difficulties, it would be a double punishment for them.”estimates Mathilde Boulay. The RN has already cut subsidies to associations locally, when it won town halls.