Pakistanis in France, primarily of

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabis, Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a ...

origin from

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

and

Azad Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir (), abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir ( ), is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entitySee: * * * and constituting the western portion of the larger ...

. Large-scale Pakistani migration to France began in the 1970s; they clustered around the

Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis The Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis () is a street in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. It crosses the arrondissement from north to south, linking the Porte Saint-Denis to La Chapelle Métro station and passing the Gare du Nord. History The Rue d ...

in the

10th arrondissement of Paris The 10th arrondissement of Paris (''Xe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, the arrondissement is referred to as ''le dixième'' (; "the tenth", formally ''l ...

, where many set up grocery stores and restaurants. According to the latest figures published by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, there were an estimated 104,000 Pakistanis living in France as of the year 2017. According to the latest official statistics published by the French government, there were 24,305 Pakistani-born people living in the country in the year 2015, also there were 19,646 Pakistani nationals living in France in 2015.

Air France Air France (; legally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France, and is headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. The airline is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and is one of the founding members ...

previously served

Karachi airport Jinnah International Airport () , formerly Drigh Road Airport or Karachi International Airport, is Pakistan's busiest international and domestic airport, and handled 7,267,582 passengers in 2017–2018. Located in Karachi, the largest city an ...

until the mid-1990s and there is now demand for a return, especially given the comparable cities in North Africa more continuously served by this premium carrier. Most Pakistanis in France are concentrated in the major cities such as Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, and Toulouse. They have settled in France for various reasons, including education, work opportunities, family reunification, and political asylum. Education is a significant reason for Pakistani immigration to France. Many Pakistani students come to France to pursue higher education in fields like engineering, computer science, medicine, and business. They often enroll in prestigious French universities and institutions like the École Polytechnique,

Sciences Po Sciences Po () or Sciences Po Paris, also known as the Paris Institute of Political Studies (), is a public research university located in Paris, France, that holds the status of ''grande école'' and the legal status of . The university's unde ...

, and HEC Paris. File:New Balal Paris.jpg, Pakistani Restaurant in Paris File:Pakistani Restaurant.jpg, Pakistani Restaurant in Paris File:Restaurant Panjab Chateau Thierry.jpg, Panjab Restaurant in Chateau Thierry File:Panjabi Cook in France.jpg, A Punjabi ''

Chef de cuisine A chef de cuisine (, French for ''head of kitchen'') or head chef is a chef that leads a kitchen and its cooks. A chef patron (feminine form ''chef patronne'') (French for ''boss chef'') or executive chef is a chef that manages multiple kitche ...

'' in Paris

Notable people

Mehmood Bhatti Mehmood Bhatti (born 1958) is a Pakistani-French fashion designer. Early life Bhatti was born and grew up in Lahore, Pakistan. Career Bhatti immigrated to France in 1976, where he married a French woman and established himself as a fashion ...

, fashion designer and entrepreneur, settled in Paris in 1977 * Namira Salim, Pakistani-born astronaut now based in Paris and Dubai *

Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan ( 1933 – 2003) was a French-born statesman and activist who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 1966 to 1977, during which he reoriented the agency's focus beyond Europe and prepared it for a ...

, French-born son of

Ismaili Ismailism () is a branch of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor ( imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelver Shia, who accept ...

imam

Aga Khan III Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah (2 November 187711 July 1957), known as Aga Khan III, was the 48th Imamate in Nizari doctrine, imam of the Nizari Isma'ili, Ism'aili branch of Shia Islam. He was one of the founders and the first permanent president of ...

James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...

British Pakistani British Pakistanis (; also known as Pakistani British people or Pakistani Britons) are Britons or residents of the United Kingdom whose ancestral roots lie in Pakistan. This includes people born in the UK who are of Pakistani descent, Pakis ...

entrepreneur who lives in France during part of the year

Notable people

See also

References

Further reading