The Influence of Arab and Muslim Refugees on Arts and Culture in France

France ranks third among European countries in terms of interest from refugees wanting to go there, with two-thirds of these applicants coming from Algeria and Turkey. However, many Muslims and Arabs go to France for economic rather than political reasons. One of the most popular news and music radio stations in France today is Radio Beur on FM 106.9, which can be heard in Paris and its suburbs. This radio station has about 500,000 listeners in France and even more in North Africa and Arab countries. The name of the radio is a colloquial term meaning the second and third generation of children of immigrants who came in groups from North Africa to France half a century ago. Among its listeners are the so-called Francais de souches, French people who have lived in France for centuries. What is the reason for the success of this radio? Ahmed Neit Black, the news editor of the radio, says: 'This radio is increasingly becoming a reference for news and cultural events of the Arab community in France, but it is also interesting for other French people, regardless of their origin. Moreover, young and promising singers of Arab ethnic music start their careers here.' Catherine Witold de Wenden, a migration expert at the International Research Center in Paris, says: 'Migrants have even created a specific slang language called verlan, which is a product of neighborhoods where the government provides housing for migrants. It is a type of 'argo' language that is prevalent in suburbs and central neighborhoods, where the order of letters and syllables is changed. For example, the French word 'fete' meaning festival is pronounced as 'tef.' Experts say that although job and political opportunities are closed to Arab descendants in France, this is not the case in the fields of art and sports.