A Dunedin lecturer was shocked but unsurprised by the Paris terror attacks because the French Government continues to ignore the needs of North African immigrants.
University of Otago senior lecturer Dr Pat Duffy, of the Department of Languages and Cultures, specialises in French immigration policy.
She was left feeling ''hollow'' by the attacks but was unsurprised they happened because there was a historical lack of support for immigrants in France, unlike in New Zealand.
''In New Zealand, we are the product of immigration, whereas France doesn't consider its core identity as a product of immigrants. In France, immigrants are supposed to become French and just melt in.''
In France, it was illegal to collect statistics on ethnicity because of the belief it promoted discrimination.
However, it created discrimination because it allowed the Government to ignore issues of those who did not identify with the ''core French'' values, Dr Duffy said.
France was ''deeply multi-cultural'' but did not allow for difference, Dr Duffy said.
''It doesn't put in place anything that will support your difference and it ignores them.''
In New Zealand, ethnicity statistics were collected to determine what public policy was needed to provide support to certain minority groups, such as Maori, she said.
But in France, ethnic minorities - primarily from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia - were expected to ''schmooze in'' to the French way of life.
Consequently, some ethnicities were excluded from ''mainstream culture'' in France.
The ''disaffected youth'' in the minority groups were easy targets for terrorist groups to radicalise, she said.
''They don't feel like they are allowed to fit in French society ... it's the French paradox. It's supposed to be the land that welcomes people but it puts a lot of barriers up and it [the French Government] hasn't done enough, politically and socially.''
