Assyrians in France
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 16,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Paris, Lyon | |
| Languages | |
| French, Neo-Aramaic, Turkish, Persian, Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Chaldean Catholic, Syriac Orthodoxy |
There are around 16,000 Assyrians in France, most of which are concentrated in the Paris metropolitan area.
History
The community has a history in France dating back to the First World War, with most arriving due to ethnic and religious conflicts, leaving Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria that largely corresponds with the Assyrian homeland, including parts of what is now primarily northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, northwestern Iran, and southeastern Turkey.[2]
The bulk of the Assyrian presence dates back to the early 20th century, when some Assyrians, fleeing the Assyrian genocide, found refuge in France.[1] Others arrived from rural south-eastern Turkey as a result of the Kurdish–Turkish conflict in the 1960s and 70s. Their numbers swelled after the Iraq War in 2003 by those arriving from Iraqi cities.
Population
Around 10,000 of the 16,000 Assyrians live in Sarcelles, a suburb of Paris. They are generally compared to French Jews who are seen as inward-looking, conservative and well-integrated in the French society.[3]
Notable French Assyrians
See also
External links
Notes
References
- Wieviorka, Michel; Bataille, Philippe (2007). The lure of anti-Semitism: hatred of Jews in present-day France. BRILL. ISBN 9789004163379.
