France to aid immigrants in suburbs

New York Times

PARIS — President Nicolas Sarkozy promised Friday to tackle the problems of the nation's immigrant suburbs, vowing to send in 4,000 more police officers and aid for neighborhoods that have struggled with despair, violence and riots.

He pledged to begin the "de-ghettoization" of such neighborhoods with a busing plan to move children out of underperforming, segregated schools. He also announced a job-training program for 100,000 youths and "second chance" schools for young adults without diplomas.

Sarkozy also threatened a new battle against drug traffickers in the neighborhoods.

France's national postal service announced that it would stop delivering mail to some suburban neighborhoods because its employees had faced attacks on their routes.

Sarkozy, whose approval ratings have plunged recently, is seeking to deliver on a campaign pledge to create a "Marshall Plan" to revive the suburbs, where seething anger about discrimination and unemployment exploded across France in car burnings and clashes with the police in 2005 and last year.