Language and employment of refugees[Langue et emploi des réfugiés]

French language proficiency is not merely an individual attribute but also an institutional product whose quantity and quality constrain the professional opportunities of refugees. While employment support initiatives for refugees lead to negotiations with companies regarding linguistic thresholds for recruitment, they also produce a minimized French, targeting minimal operational proficiency for low-skilled jobs. This occurs because associative action is caught between companies and the state. On one side, companies seek to externalize the costs of language training. On the other, a policy of linguistic rationing distances refugees and exiles from the legitimate use of the legitimate language and fosters their economic subalternity.