Rethinking statistics on mixed marriages in France : how to go beyond the global indicator of French citizenship?

Collet Beate, Université de Paris IV, Sorbonne
Corinne Régnard, Ministère de l'immigration, de l'intégration, de l'identité nationale et du développement solidaire

In France, statistics on mixed marriages are officially registered (by the Etat Civil) as marriages between French citizens and foreigners. This categorization does not take into account the relation to immigration of the French population. Consequently, this data does not allow the study of the relation between mixed marriages and migrant descendants. And yet, they are more and more of them in the French population and they maintain ties with their parents’ country of origin. A survey on newly-arrived immigrants in France in 2006 (carried out by the Direction of research, studies, evaluation and statistics - DREES) allows us to explore mixed marriages beyond citizenship and belonging. To do that, we have worked out a combined indicator based on citizenship and the country of birth for the migrant as well as for the French spouse. We worked out the following typology: the migrant is married with 1. a French citizen born in France with two parents born in France 2. a French citizen born in France with only one parent born in France 3. a French citizen born in France with two parents born in a foreign country 4. a French citizen born in a foreign country with two parents born in France 5. a French citizen born in a foreign country with only one parent born in France 6. a French citizen born in a foreign country with two parents born in a foreign country The analysis we propose in this paper will tackle gender distribution and the way ties with the countries of origin are maintained. Then, we will study whether the circumstances of encounter and marriage may differ between the different types. By doing so, we will contribute to a more differentiated understanding of mixed marriages and migration in France.