This video (Polygamy in France [1]) tells a lot about Muslim immigration math: one husband, two wives, 17 children. The first wife came legally as a spouse, while the second came via a tourist visa and remained unlawfully. Polygamy is illegal in France, but families like the one profiled get all the benefits of the French welfare state while breaking its laws.
Interestingly, the French authorities in this case are disturbed because the mega-family has inadequate housing, according to government standards.
In 2005, when French cities were being torched by angry Muslim “youth” roaming the boulevards, one report noted that in overpopulated polygamous families the “kids sleep in shifts, and when others are asleep, they are on the streets because there is nowhere else to go” (In France, Malaise Tops the Dish).
Interestingly, in 2008 NPR (!) reported on multi-wifing in this country, although it hedged by emphasizing the colorful aspect of diversity:
Some Muslims in U.S. Quietly Engage in Polygamy [2].
Although polygamy is illegal in the U.S. and most mosques try to discourage plural marriages, some Muslim men in America have quietly married multiple wives.
No one knows how many Muslims in the U.S. live in polygamous families. But according to academics researching the issue, estimates range from 50,000 to 100,000 people.
You can see some of the women involved in polygamous marriages in the lobby of Sanctuary for Families, a nonprofit women’s center in New York City. It bursts with color as a dozen women in bright African dresses and head wraps gather for a weekly noon meeting for West African immigrants. The women come each week to this support group where they discuss hard issues, such as domestic abuse, medical problems, immigration hurdles and polygamy.