Maghrebi Doctor in France Faces Discrimination and Administrative Hurdles

In fifteen years of professional life, Ali has had to face all kinds of humiliations. At the beginning of his career, "the Social Security used to send my forms back to me; it took time and I wasn’t paid," recalls this general practitioner. This administrative overload led him to burnout, and ruined his morale. The young doctor who had taken out loans to open his practice was not at the end of his troubles.

The Order of Physicians requires him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. "They want to know if I’m dangerous, when I’ve just asked to be paid. They refused to tell me why I was going to be evaluated," he tells Le Phare du Dunkerquois. An inexplicable and paradoxical situation. "It’s terrible, because at the same time, pedophile and rapist doctors in Dunkirk can practice again," he says, referring to two ongoing legal cases in Dunkirk.

A little later, Ali opens a new practice with a capacity of no more than 20 patients per day. He will again have to face mockery and other problems. "Three doctors in Cappelle were retiring. I welcomed some patients," he says. Among them were patients who had long sick leaves. "One day, a guy from the Social Security shows up and tells me I’m prescribing too many sick leaves." He then invites him to increase his patient base to reduce his sick leave ratio. "I was even threatened with being placed under guardianship," he recalls.

Last September, his prescriptions were stolen. A young girl would be the alleged thief. According to Ali, she uses the passwords by imitating the handwriting. The problems multiply. "Recently, a patient asks me for an appointment, but I have no more room. So she insults me as a dirty Arab. And threatens me with death," says the Dunkirk doctor. He may file a complaint but it will do no good. "When the dirty Arab calls on the law, it doesn’t apply to protect him," laments the specialist.

"I’m bothered by Social Security, by some of my colleagues, I’m assaulted and robbed in my office. All this without being able to appeal to anyone; it’s too difficult to handle, laments Ali. (...) I’m called a dirty Arab and nothing happens. Whatever I do, I’ll always be the dirty Arab. [...] My parents are in tears and my family is shattered."

*The first name has been changed