High turnout in French elections, far right in search of majority

In the southern port of Marseille, the question of immigration is a particularly polarizing issue during these elections.

The city has always had a large and diverse immigrant population and has recently seen a surge in gang violence, with 47 murders reported last year. Support for President Macron’s centrist party collapsed in the first round.

The right-wing National Rally party is already popular in the south of France, with many voters blaming Marseille’s high crime rate on “uncontrolled” immigration – particularly from North Africa.

“Our country has changed too much. We need more selective immigration. They sell drugs there. All the young people have knives,” explains Franck Bochet, a retiree driving through a working-class neighborhood in the north of Marseille.

But Jonathan Kwame, a French student getting his hair cut at a barber shop near the old port, accused the National Rally and right-wing media of spreading lies.

“The party is trying to divide the French people… with disinformation. I think it’s going to get worse. It could become very dangerous if it continues,” he said.

On a concrete sports field surrounded by council estates, dozens of children played soccer and archery at a recent event funded by French authorities. One of the organizers, Yasmina Hellal, said she was alarmed by the growing support for the National Rally and its anti-immigrant policies.

“This is not the France I dream of. For me, France is a welcoming country. Welcoming to everyone. A melting pot, like England. It doesn’t matter where you come from. And it’s sad to see that this is starting to change,” Hellal said.

In a small bar in central Marseille, the Nigerian owner, Prince Iroghama, hopes that the current climate of polarization will pass.

“Politics is just a game. I feel welcome here. I have a family. I have a business… I pay taxes. I just want to give my children a better future,” he said.