Assyrians in France

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

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