The Reception of Exiles in Rural France: National Guidelines and Local Variations of a Dispersion Policy

L’accueil des exilés dans les espaces ruraux en France: orientations nationales et déclinaisons locales d’une politique de dispersionWithin the European Union, the current state of international migration in recent years has turned nonmetropolitan areas into key receiving places. In France, the dismantling of the Calais slum at the end of 2016 revealed a policy of dispersal relative to asylum seekers, established by authorities in a situation of emergency. Across France, the hasty opening of dedicated centres has brought to the fore localities previously little concerned by migration issues. Based on surveys conducted in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie regions, as well as the analysis of quantitative data, this article provides a geographical analysis of the dispersion of asylum seekers in rural areas. It forms part of the larger CAMIGRI research programme that, since 2016, has studied change in the French countryside within the dynamics of international migration. The programme aims to document and understand the diversity of social situations and spatial configurations that shape French rural territories, particularly those involved in the reception of exiles.La acogida de los exilados rurales en Francia: orientaciones nacionales y adaptaciones locales de una política de dispersió