Describes the problems of North Africans living in France, where there were over one million such immigrants in 1973, and the resulting psychiatric difficulties seen by French psychotherapists. Formerly it was individuals who came to France but since independence family emigration has increased, challenging French educational and housing policies and changing the conditions to which newcomers must adjust. The chief reason for emigration has always been economic, but other reasons also exist, each tending to create a specific type of psychiatric problem. Ties to the native community remain strong, and the weakening or severing of such traditional bonds creates pathological conditions. Conflict between the 2 cultures may appear as depression, and children born in France of immigrant parents suffer severe identity crises during adolescence. Immigrants' use of French health facilities, especially psychiatric services, is very small. As adjustment progresses, the psychiatric problems tend more and more to resemble those of the host country; e.g., marital problems increase, influenced by social, cultural, and institutional factors. The question whether Arab-language services should be provided for these patients is strongly answered in the negative.