Excerpt:
The rift in French society was highlighted yesterday as a study found that a third of big companies discriminated against north-African jobseekers.
The review of 40 large companies, ordered by the government, showed a persistent bias against second and third-generation immigrants from French former colonies.
Racial and religious tensions have grown in France since a spate of terrorist attacks and a crackdown on radical Islam. The Muslim population has said that it is being stigmatised as France seeks to curtail Islamic influence.