Maghrebis in France

Maghrebis in France or French Maghrebis are immigrants from Maghreb countries (mainly Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia) in France. The term may also refer to French-born persons who have Maghrebi parents or who have Maghrebi ancestral background. The term includes all ethnicities from the Maghreb living in France (Arabs and Berbers).

During Al-Andalus, Maghrebis were known by some Europeans as Moors. Those of them who speak Arabic are considered western Arabs in contrast to the eastern Arabs which are mostly in the Middle East.

Maghrebis make up the largest non-European ethnic group in France. Estimates range between 4 million and 6 million people, depending on the number of generations of immigrant descendants included in the estimations, with part or full Maghrebi ancestry in France forming about 6-9% of France's total population. Out of this group, Berbers, who generally call themselves Amazigh and not Maghrebis, are estimated to number around 2 million people.

According to the Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE), 16% of newborns in France (about 130,000 newborns per year) between 2006 and 2008 have at least one Maghrebi grandparent.

Maghrebis have settled mainly in the industrial regions in France, especially in the Paris region but also in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Languedoc-Roussillon, Alsace, Rhône-Alpes and Corsica.

The Paris metropolitan area has a large Maghrebian population. As of 2008, 18.1% of the population of the Parisian commune of Saint-Denis was Maghrebian.

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