▁time , ▁a ▁cor ollary ▁to ▁this ▁policy ▁allowed ▁for ▁male ▁Al ger ian ▁workers ▁to ▁be ▁joined ▁by ▁their ▁families — a ▁process ▁known ▁as ▁re group ement . ▁By ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁half ▁a ▁million ▁Al ger ians ▁res ided ▁in ▁France , ▁including ▁Beg ag ' s ▁family , ▁who ▁had ▁come ▁to ▁France ▁" f lee ing ▁the ▁pover ty ▁of ▁El - O ur icia ▁[ in ▁Al ger ia ] ." ▁ ▁Social ▁Cond itions ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁Al ger ian ▁workers ▁lived ▁in ▁pover ty - str icken ▁settlement s ▁known ▁as ▁bid on v illes . ▁These ▁sl ums ▁were ▁often ▁over c row ded , ▁struct ur ally ▁uns ound , ▁and ▁lack ing ▁in ▁basic ▁pl umb ing ▁and ▁san itation . ▁Beg ag ' s ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁sh ant yt own ▁( le ▁cha â ba ) ▁echo es ▁the ▁reality ▁of ▁the ▁bid on v illes : ▁“ W ood en ▁sh acks ▁had ▁spr out ed ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁garden ▁border ing ▁the ▁original ▁concrete ▁house ▁[...] ▁The ▁sh acks ▁stood ▁together , ▁cl ing ing ▁to ▁each ▁other ▁all ▁around ▁the ▁house . ▁A ▁fier ce ▁g ust ▁of ▁wind ▁could ▁bring ▁them ▁down ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁blow ." ▁The ▁French ▁government ▁eventually ▁destroyed ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁bid on v illes ▁en ▁mas se ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁considered ▁public