page_title: Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora
section_title: France
hierarchical_section_title: Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora / Demographics / Europe / France
caption_attribution_description: Celebration of Ganesh, Paris.
context_page_description: The Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora refers to the global diaspora of Sri Lankan Tamil origin. It can be said to be a subset of the larger Sri Lankan and Tamil diaspora.
  Like other diasporas, Sri Lankan Tamils are scattered and dispersed around the globe, with concentrations in South Africa, United Kingdom, Canada, India, Europe, Australia, United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Seychelles and Mauritius.
context_section_description: There are over 100,000 Sri Lankan Tamils living in France, joining an existing large population of Tamils from the French overseas departments.
  In only 10 years, "Little Jaffna", located at the last stretch of the winding street of Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis in the 10th arrondissement, between metros Gare de Nord and La Chapelle, has sprung to life and begun to truly flourish. It is commonly mistakenly called by the average Parisian as Little Bombay. [1]
  The vast majority of Parisian Tamils fled Sri Lanka as refugees in the 1980s, escaping the violent civil conflict. The French Prefecture was initially quite reluctant about granting asylum to Tamils. In 1987, the Office for the Protection of Refugees (OFPRA) gained in power and opened up a period of nearly systematic asylum. This liberal period eventually tapered off in the 90s as a result of new European measures designed against an influx in immigration. Today, there are about 100,000 Sri Lankan Tamils living in France, of which the greatest number live in Paris. Little Jaffna is also famous for the annual chariot procession held during Ganesha Chathurthi. Both the area and event have become popular tourist attractions.
  Italy
  Italy is home to roughly 25,000 to 35,000 Tamils, most of whom are migrants and refugees from Sri Lanka, as well as significant Tamil populations from Mauritius and India.
  The largest center of Tamils in Italy is the Sicilian capital of Palermo, where Sri Lankan Tamils number around 6,000 and are the second largest immigrant group in Palermo after Bangladeshis. Other Italian cities with a significant Sri Lankan Tamil community are Rome, Milan, Bologna and Napoli; there are even Tamil associations in smaller and medium-sized cities such as Catania, Reggio Emilia, and Lecce.
caption: Celebrations of Ganesh by the Sri Lankan Tamil community in Paris, France
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