It marks a gradual shift away from traditional security surveillance, while maintaining intelligence monitoring as a key component of France’s broader strategy.
A new study published by TRENDS Research & Advisory finds that the French authorities are increasingly adopting a policy of “proactive administrative containment” in dealing with networks and organizations they classify as linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. This marks a gradual shift away from the traditional security surveillance approach, while maintaining intelligence monitoring as a key component of France’s broader strategy.
The study, authored in French by Shamsa Al-Qubaisi, Senior Researcher at TRENDS, explains that the French authorities’ decision to ban the Annual Gathering of Muslims of the West in Nantes on May 22, 2026, citing concerns over the participation of speakers affiliated with Muslims of France whose views were deemed incompatible with the principles of the Republic, was not an isolated measure. Instead, it forms part of an expanding pattern of proactive administrative measures that Paris has pursued since 2020.
According to the study, the principle of laïcité (French secularism) provides the conceptual framework for France’s approach to the Muslim Brotherhood. While it guarantees freedom of belief, it also seeks to limit the influence of religion within the public sphere and state institutions. In this context, the study argues, concepts such as “separatism” and “communitarianism” have become central to French political debates on political Islam, rather than theological or doctrinal considerations.
The study notes that the French Ministry of Interior published a report in May 2025 titled The Muslim Brotherhood and Political Islam in France, concluding that the group pursues a long-term influence strategy through schools, mosques, non-governmental organizations, and public events. The report argues that the principal concern lies in the construction of an “ecosystem of influence” rather than the threat of direct insurrection. By contrast, parliamentary debates in the French National Assembly in January 2026 over whether to place the group on the European Union’s list of terrorist organizations revealed significant differences regarding the scale of these networks and the extent of their organizational cohesion.
The study reviews the principal measures adopted by France since 2020, beginning with the dissolution of several organizations, including the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) and the charitable organization BarakaCity, following the murder of teacher Samuel Paty. The French Council of State upheld those decisions in 2021 without requiring prior criminal convictions.
It also examines the anti-separatism law, which expanded the state’s authority to monitor and dissolve associations. A parliamentary evaluation issued by the French Senate in 2024 found that the law’s practical impact had fallen short of its stated objectives, with only four public grants withdrawn over three years.
The study further notes that on May 5, 2026, the French Senate approved legislation introduced by Senator Bruno Retailleau to combat what it described as “Islamist infiltration” by a vote of 208 to 124. The bill grants prefects broader powers over places of worship, authorizes asset freezes, and simplifies procedures for dissolving associations.
The study assesses the effectiveness of these measures across three principal dimensions: disrupting organizational structures, limiting mobilization capacity, and influencing ideological dynamics. Supporters of the approach argue that banning large gatherings reduces the ability of such networks to establish new organizational ties while sending a clear political message about France’s commitment to republican values.
The study also highlights concerns raised by human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, which argue that expanding administrative powers could adversely affect civil society organizations by creating legal uncertainty that may discourage civic participation and deepen feelings of exclusion. It also notes that dissolving the Collective Against Islamophobia in France did not prevent similar narratives from continuing outside France, demonstrating these networks’ capacity to adapt and reposition themselves.
The study argues that the central challenge facing French policymakers extends beyond organizational containment to the development of more independent French religious institutions. Since January 2024, Paris has prohibited the deployment of seconded imams from Algeria, Morocco, and Türkiye as part of a policy aimed at reducing foreign religious influence while encouraging the training of locally based imams. Nevertheless, the Forum of Islam in France, established in 2022 to replace the French Council of the Muslim Faith, continues to face questions regarding its representativeness and legitimacy.
The study concludes that administrative measures may deliver temporary calm, but cannot provide a sustainable solution unless accompanied by the development of credible religious institutions and greater trust between the French state and Muslim communities. It stresses that the greatest challenge lies in establishing distinct legal and political boundaries that distinguish between ideological influence, conservative religious activity, and genuine security threats.
