Social exclusion and radicalisation in the French context - An issue of engagement and social reintegration

In France, during the 1990s, a terrorist threat inspired by radical Islamism emerged. This was notably linked to the development of Salafist ideology, propagated by Algerian Islamists who had fled their country, as well as through the networks of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA). Then, from the 2000s onwards, under the influence of Al-Qaeda and later the Islamic State, France faced the threat and attacks of violent jihadist extremists. This threat has tended to become more self-directed, partially freeing itself from the direct influence of these jihadist terrorist organisations. It has also diversified, notably with the rise of violent far-right extremists. The novelty of these threats is their endogenous nature: they engage French citizens who, in the name of an ideology, carry out or support terrorist violence against their fellow citizens. The aim of this chapter is twofold: first, to highlight elements and research which show how radicalisation and social exclusion are expressed in the French context; and second, to demonstrate how, while social exclusion constitutes a significant factor, it is the subjective dimension thereof which appears crucial for preventing radicalisation. We draw upon French and international literature on disengagement from violent extremism and social reintegration, as well as empirical data collected through interviews with individuals convicted of terrorism in multidisciplinary Terrorist Reintegration in Open Custody research. See more