http://piketty.blog.lemonde.fr: Public discussion on the place of Islam and Muslim populations in European societies is becoming increasingly hysterical. In the absence of precise information and research, we draw general conclusions on the capacity or the desire of tens of millions of people to integrate and live together from events which are undoubtedly dramatic but only involve a tiny fraction of the populations in question (attacks in Paris, violence against women in Cologne).

Almost 5% of the population of the European Union (about 25 million people in a total 510 million) consider themselves to be of Muslim faith or culture (practising or not) with peaks at 6-7% in Germany and in France (10 million out of 150 million). This is a substantial minority, smaller to be sure than in India (where Muslims are almost 15% of the population) at the other end of the Arabo-Muslim world, but much larger than in the United States where Islam is almost non-existent (less than 1% of the population, similar to East Europe).

Fortunately, there are some reliable surveys, for example the Trajectoires et Origines (Trajectories and Origins), carried out by INED (Institut national d’études démographiques) which enable us to redefine the debate. In this study, researchers have examined the lives of 8300 immigrants, originating from seven consecutive waves of immigration and have compared them with the lives of 8200 of their descendents and French people with no foreign ancestry. The findings reveal an ‘asymmetrical integration’. On one hand, the children of immigrants obtain diplomas, find spouses and friends with no migratory ascendants and have often put the language of their parents on hold. But, on the other hand, they remain unemployed for longer periods and do not accede to the same jobs as other young people with equivalent qualifications. The asymmetry is particularly pronounced for those of North African or sub-Saharan African origin.

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