Why has the population of Africans increased in France?

The population of Africans in France has increased due to migration flows from Africa to Europe, particularly France, since the 20th century. The African diaspora in France is difficult to quantify due to the prohibition of collecting data on race or ethnicity in France. However, according to legal immigration statistics, in 2015, 619,000 nationals of African states were legally resident in France, with the largest group coming from Mali, followed by Senegal and the DRC. Additionally, some 3 million French nationals of sub-Saharan African origin live in France as naturalized citizens and/or second-generation immigrants

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. The black population in France is largely comprised of immigrants from the former French colonies, including African countries

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. The French economy needed cheap labor after decolonization, and African workers were attracted by the prospect of paying jobs