Immigration to Besançon

{{See also|Timeline of Besançon}}

The history of immigration to Besançon spans several centuries, or even several millennia if taken into account the various invasions the Comtois capital was faced with. Immigrants themselves settled in the city for two main reasons: socio-economic problems (search for work, better living conditions, etc.) and flight from their countries of origin due to political conflicts (wars, persecution, etc.); to a lesser extent, there was also the presence of foreign soldiers from 1870 to 1945, most of whom settled in Besançon. Numerous nationalities are represented in the city, almost as many as there are countries in the world; however, all these immigrant populations have one thing in common: they have, through the ages, left visible traces in the city.

The city of Besançon has been under the domination of many peoples and empires in the past. Although it can't be spoken of immigration as such, but rather of invasions, one must emphasize the importance of these non-native populations, which had a decisive impact on the city and its region, demographically, historically, culturally, and architecturally.{{Cite web |title=La Séquanie |url=http://www.identitecomtoise.net/histoire/sequanie |access-date=May 19, 2008 |website=Identitecomtoise.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080519152857/http://www.identitecomtoise.net/histoire/sequanie |archive-date=19 May 2008 |language=fr}}

In the 2nd century BC, the oppidum was in the possession of the Sequani, a Gallic people who controlled a vast territory stretching between the Rhône, Saône, Jura, and Vosges rivers. The presence of public facilities in this period is attested by excavation campaigns; the oldest were discovered during preventive excavations carried out on the site of the demolished ramparts in 2001.{{Cite web |title=Plan de Vesontio durant l'époque Romaine |trans-title=Map of Vesontio in Roman times |url=http://artic.ac-besancon.fr/Histoire_geographie/BJacquet/cartographie/besgr.htm |access-date=April 4, 2022 |website=Académie de Besançon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020404125739/http://artic.ac-besancon.fr/Histoire_geographie/BJacquet/cartographie/besgr.htm |archive-date=4 April 2002 |language=fr}} The town was encircled by an embankment wall (murus gallicus), the remains of which were unearthed on the same site. The oppidum, named Vesontio (in Latin), was then the economic center of Sequania, and as such was coveted by the Germans and then the Aedui before Julius Caesar conquered it in 58 BC. Following the Battle of Vesontio, the city came under full Roman domination, and contact with the Italian peninsula began.{{Cite journal |last=Spagnoli |first=Frédéric |year=2020 |title=La longue histoire de la présence italienne à Besançon et son influence sur la ville |trans-title=The long history of the Italian presence in Besançon and its influence on the city |url=https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/api/file/viewByFileId/1412714 |journal=Quaestiones Romanicae VIII/2 |language=fr |publisher=JatePress |access-date=May 2, 2025}} The strongest testimony to this is undoubtedly Julius Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War, one of the earliest written records of the city.{{Cite web |title=De Vesontio à Besançon |trans-title=From Vesontio to Besançon |url=http://www.besancon.fr/index.php?p=452 |access-date=September 3, 2019 |website=City of Besançon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051014040534/http://www.besancon.fr/index.php?p=452 |archive-date=14 October 2005 |language=fr}} Under Roman rule, the city enjoyed a period of splendor, as evidenced by the many ruins that can still be seen today, such as the Porte Noire, the Besançon-Arcier aqueduct running through the Porte Taillée and ending in the Square Castan, and the ruins of the Besançon Arena.{{Cite book |last=Bedon |first=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vZS40pBylxQC |title=Les aqueducs de la Gaule romaine et des régions voisines |publisher=Presses Universitaires de Limoges |year=1999 |isbn=9782842871116 |pages=399–404 |language=fr |trans-title=Aqueducts in Roman Gaul and neighbouring regions}}

File:Porte Noire Besançon XXe.jpg|The ancient amphitheatre.

File:Porte Taillée vue arrière.JPG|The carved door.

File:Square Castan.JPG|Castan Square.

File:Vestiges Arènes Besançon.jpg|The old arena.

{{Main|History of the Jews in Besançon}}

File:Synagogue Besançon.jpg, built in 1869, symbolizes the historical significance of the Jewish community.]]

The first real migrants to settle in what is now the Comtois capital were the Jews. Indeed, as Besançon was a favored trading center due to its proximity to Germany and Italy, many Jewish merchants passed through the city on a regular basis. A letter sent by Pope Innocent IV in 1245 to the archbishop of Besançon, asking him to enforce the wearing of the rouelle by Jews, confirms their presence in the region as early as this period.{{Cite book |last=Bloomberg |first=Jon Irving |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WtCCurkIBr8C |title=The Jewish World in the Middle Ages |publisher=Ktav Publishing House |year=2000 |isbn=0-88125-684-6 |location=New York |page=79}} In the 14th century, the municipal government of Besançon decided to grant Jews permission to stay in the area, in return for a “droit d'entrage” and an “annual cens.” In 1393, documents show that twelve Jewish families had settled in the town, and that they “maintained Joseph de Trèves as master of their school.” The following year, a Bisontin citizen was fined 60 sous for beating one of the Jews “guarding the town.” It seems that some French Jews fled to Besançon in the mid-14th century to escape the fine imposed on Jews for participating in the lepers’ plot conspiracy, an antisemitic myth claiming that they had allied themselves with lepers and the Muslim kingdom of Granada to poison wells.{{Cite book |last1=Akehurst |first1=F. R. P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-bthseLTewwC |title=The Stranger in Medieval Society |last2=Van D'Elden |first2=Stephanie Cain |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |year=1997 |isbn=0-8166-3031-3 |page=37}} In 1394, King Charles VI of France expelled the Jews from his states, and Duke Philippe le Hardi did the same in the Duchy of Burgundy. Besançon, however, was an imperial city, unaffected by these restrictive measures. It became a refuge for Jews expelled from neighboring states, fuelling the demographic growth of the Besançon community.

{{See also|French Renaissance|History of clockmaking in Besançon}}

File:Panoramique cours Palais granvelle Besancon.jpg

Relations between Besançon and the Italian peninsula resumed in the 16th century, during the Renaissance, when transalpine territories enjoyed unrivalled influence and splendor. Traces of Genoese merchants can be found from 1535 onwards, mainly because they had been expelled from Lyon and Chambéry. These Genoese set up a fair in the town, which attracted a number of merchants and moneychangers for some time. However, the arrival of the Italians gradually faded, as the town proved unprofitable and difficult to access. Nevertheless, a visible trace of the grandeur of this era remains in the town: the Palais Granvelle, a true Renaissance architectural masterpiece.{{Cite web |title=Palais Granvelle |trans-title=Granvelle Palace |url=http://www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/merimee_fr?ACTION=CHERCHER&FIELD_1=REF&VALUE_1=IA25000246 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |website=Base Mérimée |language=fr}}

File:Eglise Réformée.jpg

From the 16th century onwards, Protestantism seems to have appeared in what is now the capital of the Comtois region, apparently with the immigration of people from Switzerland and the principality of Montbéliard. The town of Besançon had been particularly hostile to the Reformed faith, but this hostility was gradually forgotten when Swiss watchmakers, most of whom were Calvinists, introduced the watchmaking industry to Franche-Comté. As a result, the town's Protestants were given the Refuge chapel, then the former Capuchin chapel (later called the Chamars temple) and finally the Church of the Holy Spirit.{{Cite web |title=Le temple du Saint-Esprit de Besançon |trans-title=The Temple du Saint-Esprit in Besançon |url=http://huguenotsinfo.free.fr/temples/besancon.htm |access-date=September 7, 2010 |website=Huguenots de France |language=fr}} In 1793, the Genevan Laurent Mégevand (1754-1814), accompanied by 80 colleagues, settled in Besançon and founded the city's historic watchmaking industry. They subsequently succeeded in bringing 22 watchmaking families to the city, a total of between 400 and 700 people.{{Cite web |title=Laurent Megevand |url=http://www.racinescomtoises.net/?Laurent-Megevand-1754-1814 |access-date=October 20, 2013 |website=Racinescomtoises.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020211508/http://www.racinescomtoises.net/?Laurent-Megevand-1754-1814 |archive-date=20 October 2013 |language=fr}}{{Cite book |last1=Mironneau |first1=Jacques |title=Bibliographie franc-comtoise 1980-1990 |last2=Richard |first2=Hélène |year=1997 |isbn=978-2-251-60644-6 |page=52 |publisher=Presses Univ. Franche-Comté |language=fr |trans-title=Franc-Comté bibliography 1980-1990}} By the end of the Empire, there were some 1,500 Swiss in the city, 500 of whom worked exclusively in the watchmaking industry, before this community was gradually replaced by local labor.

From the 1850s onwards, Besançon's economic development led to the city's first mass immigration.{{Cite web |title=Italiens : Développement de l'immigration de masse à partir de 1850 |trans-title=Italians : Development of mass immigration from 1850 onwards |url=https://migrations.besancon-bourgogne-franche-comte.fr/histoire/local/1789-1914/italiens-developpement-de-limmigration-de-masse-a-partir-de-1850/ |access-date=September 7, 2010 |website=Migrations.Besançon.fr |language=fr}} At the time, the Swiss were in the majority, but Italians gradually became the city's leading foreign community. Figures from the 1846 census show that the city's foreigners were mainly of Italian, German, and Swiss origin (particularly from Neuchâtel), and that relations between these populations and the natives were neither very hostile nor very cordial. In Claude Fohlen's book Histoire de Besançon, a passage refers to a “battling Piedmontese workforce” during the 1850 construction of the underground water supply canal linking the Arcier springs to Besançon. According to the 1851 census, there were around 300 Savoyards and 96 Italians in the city, and 335 in the department. The Italian community in the Comtoise capital continued to grow from this time onwards, with a population originating from north-western Italy, Piedmont, Lombardy, and, to a lesser extent, Liguria; this population was mobile, nomadic, working-class, predominantly male and young. At the same time, the Italian merchants, peddlers and artists characteristic of the Ancien Régime migrations continued to settle in the city, as Gaston Coindre points out in his book Mon vieux Besançon.

File:Flickr - …trialsanderrors - Pont de Battant ^ Madeleine church, Besançon, Franche-Comté, France, ca. 1896.jpgCoindre describes characters who were part of daily life in Besançon: the caterer Gaétan Migon (where Honoré de Balzac dined in 1833), Roncaglio, the organist of Saint-Pierre church and then Saint-Jean cathedral (1780-1864), the statutory painter Jean-Baptiste Franceschi (1795-1881) and his two sculptor sons.{{Cite web |title=Augustine Céline Roncaglio |url=https://philidor.cmbv.fr/Publications/Bases-prosopographiques/MUSEFREM-Base-de-donnees-prosopographique-des-musiciens-d-Eglise-en-1790/Notices/RONCAGLIO-Augustine-Celine-fille-epouse-Boutron |access-date=November 11, 2009 |website=CMBV |language=fr}} In 1872, Besançon's very first consulate opened: an Italian consulate, followed in 1874 by a Swiss consulate; however, only the latter is still in operation.{{Cite web |title=Consulat suisse de Besançon |trans-title=Swiss Consulate Besançon |url=http://embassy-finder.com/fr/switzerland_in_besancon_france |access-date=September 7, 2010 |website=Embassy-finder.com |language=fr}} At the dawn of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and the events of the Paris Commune, which had local consequences, the city was home to a significant number of Italians, Swiss, Austro-Germans, as well as a few Russians and even nuns from the Near East. In 1876, there were 166 Italians in Besançon, working mainly in construction and public works, and more than 200 in 1888. This population was scattered throughout the city, but the Battant district, and in particular the streets of Petit Charmont, Grand Charmont, and Richebourg, was home to the highest concentration.

File:Cimetière de Saint-Claude - tombes coloniales des musulmans.JPGAfter the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, and especially during the first half of the 20th century, Franche-Comté, along with the rest of France's border regions, saw the arrival of numerous colonial soldiers, many of them from the Maghreb.{{Cite web |title=Les coloniaux dans l'histoire militaire du nord-est de la France (1re partie) |trans-title=Colonials in the military history of northeastern France (Part 1) |url=http://migrations.besancon.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=863&Itemid=70 |access-date=May 31, 2010 |website=Migrations.Besançon.fr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720205547/http://migrations.besancon.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=863&Itemid=70 |archive-date=20 July 2011 |language=fr}} Following the defeat of the Second Empire at the hands of the German kingdoms united behind Prussia in 1871, France began preparing for the “Revenge” in 1890, and willingly or unwillingly enlisted the population living in its colonies in Africa and Indochina.{{Harvtxt|Blanchard|Lemaire|2002|p=117}} The participation of colonial soldiers in the Besançon region during the First World War is evidenced by the presence of Muslim graves in the Saint-Claude cemetery, which has a Muslim plot in memory of soldiers who fell in the two world wars, and some twenty oriental steles.{{Cite web |title=Le député de Besançon et l'armée indigène en 1915 |trans-title=The MP for Besançon and the native army in 1915 |url=http://www.bm-besancon.fr/gallery_files/site_1/346/348/359/363/bvv_novembre_2006.pdf |access-date=July 20, 2011 |website=Besançon Votre Ville |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720205419/http://www.bm-besancon.fr/gallery_files/site_1/346/348/359/363/bvv_novembre_2006.pdf |archive-date=20 July 2011 |language=fr}} However, the presence of colonials in Besançon before and during World War II seems secondary, and it was not until the Second World War that real “indigenous armies” fought in Franche-Comté.{{Cite web |title=Le recours aux troupes coloniales |trans-title=The use of colonial troops |url=https://migrations.besancon-bourgogne-franche-comte.fr/histoire/local/1939-1945-la-2e-guerre-mondiale-3/le-recours-aux-troupes-coloniales/ |access-date=September 29, 2010 |website=Migrations.Besançon.fr |language=fr}}

In the 1890s, incidents between French and Italian workers broke out not only in Besançon, but also in other French towns. In March 1890, for example, scuffles broke out during the construction of a paper mill in the Prés-de-Vaux sector; the local newspaper Le Petit Comtois wrote an article on the subject the day after the events, reporting that Italians were no longer being hired, much to the delight of the French workers. However, Besançon was losing its appeal, and estimates made in 1889 showed that foreign workers preferred to settle in Pontarlier, Morteau, and above all in Montbéliard and the Territoire de Belfort, due to the greater industrialization of these towns. The 1896 census confirms that the Italian community in the town is in slight demographic decline, although the number of Italians remains at least equal to 200; for the department as a whole, there were 1,663 Transalpines in the same year. In 1911, there were 2,467 Italians and 7,843 Swiss in the department, but from 1914 onwards, the situation of foreigners became more precarious due to World War I.

After the laying of the foundation stone for the Besançon-les-Bains hotel, a problem arose: the materials, all of which were imported, were judged to be of poor quality by the Italian workers, provoking their anger. These same workers were later at the heart of a fierce debate when 1,500 demonstrators thronged the town hall on September 22, 1891, to demand that the Italians be replaced by French workers. The protest received widespread publicity and media coverage,{{Cite book |title=Besançon autrefois |year=1995 |page=97}} particularly when the local press headlined “Too many foreigners” or “Too many enemies being made to live at the expense of our compatriots,” leading to the dismissal of the workers a few months later. They were replaced by local workers. This episode is carefully hidden by historians: Gaston Coindre's comprehensive book Mon vieux Besançon, written between 1900 and 1912, recounts in minute detail the life of the Comtois capital and its inhabitants, and does not devote a single line to the new spa.

Like all French people, Besançon's Jewish population was affected by World War I. At the entrance to the city's Jewish cemetery, a monument to the dead was erected in memory of members of the Besançon community killed in action during the conflict. At the foot of the monument is inscribed “Ah! our youth! our pride... oh! how the heroes have fallen! (II SAM 1.19.),” and a French souvenir roundel is also affixed to the foot of the building. Twenty names are engraved on this war memorial.

File:Stèle funéraire - cimetière juif de Besançon.jpg at the Jewish cemetery, Besançon.]]After World War I, Besançon suffered an economic recession, particularly as the watchmaking industry weakened, and the city turned to other sectors such as textiles, metallurgy, food, and paper and cardboard. From the 1920s onwards, the town grew modestly, with the population increasing by 17% between 1921 and 1936, from 55,652 to 65,022. In 1936, there were 1,352 Italians and 1,103 Swiss, as well as a new population including Spanish Republicans, refugees from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union territories. The city also welcomed a new Jewish population, mostly from Germany, Austria, Poland, and Central Europe in general, who had settled in Besançon because they feared the rise of antisemitism in their home countries. By 1934, the Comtois capital was home to some 2,500 immigrants, many of them recent arrivals; this immigration only increased in 1939, with the Anschluss and the Allies' entry into the Axis war. At the end of the 1930s, the city was faced with new hostilities towards foreigners, particularly nationals of countries that had adopted a different policy to that of France, including the Spanish and Czechs, as well as the Italians, who experienced several anti-Italian demonstrations in 1938 and 1940. Nevertheless, these immigrants adapted and gradually settled in the city, as was the case with the Italians, most of whom paved the way for the arrival of family and friends during the Trente Glorieuses.

In 1936, there were 3,212 foreigners in the town out of a total population of 56,491, representing around 5.7%; 1,352 Italians (almost half the foreigners), 1,103 Swiss, 156 Poles, and a smaller number of migrants of other nationalities. Since at least 1931, Italians have formed the largest foreign community not only in the city, but also in the department, with 7,990 nationals in the Doubs. In Besançon, this community is mainly located in the Battant district, particularly in the area west of rue de Madeleine, from quai Veil Picard to Fort Griffon and avenue Siffert, as well as in rue du Petit Charmont, rue du Grand Charmont, and rue Richebourg, where 579 of the 689 foreigners live. Italians are also found in other parts of the city, notably downtown, but never in such large numbers. The majority of this community's members declared that they worked in the building trade. The end of the 1930s was more difficult for Besançon's Italian community as the Second World War approached. A number of Fascist associations and congregations sprang up in the Comtois capital, including the Association of Italian Veterans, the Il Circolo sports club and the Union Populaire Italiano (UPI), which had 21 branches in the Doubs and one in Besançon; however, even with the support of Rome, these associations had only a handful of members and were unable to establish themselves on a deep and lasting basis.

Following the political tensions between France and Italy in November 1938, caused by the Italian government's claim to Savoy, Nice, Corsica, and Djibouti, several anti-Italian demonstrations were organized in Besançon. In December 1938, around 300 students, along with a few high school and college pupils, took to the streets to protest against Benito Mussolini's territorial claims and Italy. As a result, the Union Populaire Italienne (UPI) distanced itself from Mussolini's position, lending its support to the French Republic. The situation became even more delicate when France and Italy entered the war in June 1940. A new demonstration was organized in St. Peter's Square, with slogans such as “Mussolini's toilet” echoing through the streets of the city center. Once again, the city's population gave their overwhelming support to the initiative, and the UPI adopted the same line as in 1938.

In January 1939, 1,350 Spanish refugees arrived in Besançon, fleeing the authoritarian National Catholic regime of General Francisco Franco.{{Cite journal |last=Pinard |first=Joseph |year=2004 |title=Le Jean XXIII de Franche-Comté |trans-title=The John XXIII of Franche-Comté |url=http://www.besancon.fr/gallery_files/site_1/346/348/359/363/bvv_fevrier_2004.pdf |journal=Besançon Votre Ville |language=fr |issue=277 |pages=42–43 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050120184903/http://www.besancon.fr/gallery_files/site_1/346/348/359/363/bvv_fevrier_2004.pdf |access-date=2010-09-04|archive-date=20 January 2005 }} To counter xenophobic and even racist reactions, Maurice Dubourg addressed his faithful:{{Cite web |title=Les réfugiés espagnols à Besançon en 1939 |trans-title=Spanish refugees in Besançon in 1939 |url=https://migrations.besancon-bourgogne-franche-comte.fr/histoire/local/1919-1939-entre-deux-guerres-3/les-refugies-espagnols-a-besancon-en-1939-pas-de-ca-chez-nous/ |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=September 16, 2010 |website=Migrations.Besançon.fr |language=fr}}

Why is it that some people don't seem to understand these gestures of kindness that unite people of different opinions and backgrounds in a spirit of charity? They say that these refugees are not interesting, that they do not deserve our pity, and that it is a bad deed to help the enemies of the social order. Is it possible that such pagan considerations find credence among Catholics? (...) As the representative of our divine Savior, who came to earth to preach goodness and forgiveness of offenses, we must raise the most indignant of protests against such remarks, and condemn them severely. (...) Ah, dear faithful of Besançon, We implore you, do not harden your hearts, do not let yourselves be won over by this pagan spirit which tends to penetrate everywhere and of which you could one day be in your turn the painful victims.

{{See also|Trente Glorieuses|Economic history of France}}

Immigration to France in general, and to Besançon in particular, after the Second World War was mainly due to the recurrent need for labor following the country's reconstruction. Between the end of the 1940s and the mid-1970s, large numbers of migrants from Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the Maghreb countries took part in the economic boom in France and the city, a period known as the Trente Glorieuses. Indeed, there was no shortage of work: Besançon experienced a veritable demographic explosion during this period, which was accompanied by considerable economic growth with the development of industry represented by the garment and artificial textiles sectors, as well as watchmaking, the food industry and precision mechanics. Labor was also in high demand as the city urbanized, building neighborhoods such as Planoise, Les 408, Clairs-Soleils, Palente-Orchamps, and Montrapon-Fontaine-Écu. The building and public works sector became so important that it was the largest employer of foreign workers; this was particularly the case in Besançon, where there is the example of the Lhéritier company, employing, out of a total of 290 employees (all men, mostly masons), 94 French workers and 196 foreign workers, including 63 Portuguese, 14 Italians, 40 Moroccans, 32 Algerians, as well as Yugoslavs, Turks, and others. These immigrant workers were highly profitable for Bisontine companies, and accepted deplorable working and living conditions. What's more, they were managed separately from the rest of the working world, outside the scope of the Labor Code, and were poorly integrated into the city's trade union organizations, which meant that they could be drilled mercilessly. Lastly, immigrant workers avoid additional costs for the community, as they are immediately employable, solid, motivated, and usually single.

This cheap labor offset the shortage of local workers, despite the strong rural exodus. Gradually, immigrants settled in transit housing estates and then in the neighborhoods they had helped to build, bringing their families with them, learning the French language and integrating into society. However, the end of the 1970s marked a turning point in this period: following the closure of numerous factories in Bisont (Lip in 1977, Rhodiacéta in 1982 and Kelton shortly afterwards) and several crises, work became scarcer and living conditions deteriorated, particularly for foreigners.{{Harvtxt|Fohlen|1965|p=570–571}} Changes in migratory flows began to emerge, in line with the end of the search for labor; the demand for labor was much lower than before, especially for unskilled workers. In Besançon, this context is visible in the near-disappearance of the watchmaking industry, symbolized by the Lip affair, as well as in the restructuring of the building and public works sector and the end of major real estate projects.

File:Localización de Andalucía.svg, the primary Spanish region of origin for Besançon’s immigrants.]]

After the war, the city of Besançon welcomed a large number of Spaniards who had immigrated for political or economic reasons.{{Cite web |title=Espagnols à Besançon en 1974-75 |trans-title=Spaniards in Besançon in 1974-75 |url=https://migrations.besancon-bourgogne-franche-comte.fr/histoire/local/1945-1974-les-trente-glorieuses/espagnols-a-besancon-en-1974-75/ |access-date=October 6, 2010 |website=Migrations.Besançon.fr |language=fr}} Spanish political migrants arrived in Besançon before 1955, but did not intend to stay for long. Made up of a young population (30-35 years old), the Spanish population of Besançon, who had fled Franco's regime, hoped for a rapid end to this policy in order to return to their countries, which would not happen until the 1970s. In 1974-1975, the Doubs prefecture counted just 34 Spanish refugees in the Comtois capital; this low number is explained by the naturalization of most members of the community. Most political migrants of Spanish origin settled permanently in Besançon after the 1970s. As for Spanish immigration for economic reasons, it began in the post-war period, with the population seeking a better life and better education for their children; for this reason, immigration was essentially family-based. The majority of these Spanish migrants come from the great migration movement of the late 1950s, and were part of the most disadvantaged social strata of the country's society. It is estimated that during the “Trente Glorieuses,” at least 350 Spanish families settled in the town, totaling some 1,680 people. It's worth noting the size of the population from certain regions, proof of a correlation between background and exile. Thus, a large number of Spanish migrants in Besançon came from Andalusia (30.4% of migrants), where underemployment and the crisis in the agrarian sector were driving men to leave, but also from Castile and León (23.9% of migrants), where immigration was due to urban unemployment despite industrial development, as well as from Galicia (11.4% of migrants) and Asturias, to a lesser extent. The length of time Spanish migrants stay in the city varies considerably, as living conditions affect whether or not they plan to leave.

According to INSEE, in 1968, Spaniards accounted for 15% of all foreign workers in Besançon. They were most often regularized on the spot, due to the lengthy legal procedures required to obtain a work contract. The men work mainly in the construction and public works sectors, partly filling the strong need for local labor; the women, especially the younger ones, work in domestic services or textile manufacturing. Work is relatively easy to find for Spanish workers, not least because of the strong need for manpower, but also because Spanish workers are generally considered serious and are esteemed by their bosses and colleagues; their upward social mobility is therefore possible. Also, if these immigrants came through the official channels, employers were obliged to house them (in site barracks, shared rooms, etc.), but most had their own accommodation, thanks to relatives, friends, and compatriots. The Spaniards were housed in the Amitié transit cités, in Saint-Ferjeux or in Montarmots, before obtaining affordable housing. This community did not encounter any major housing difficulties, with around a hundred families living in the historic districts (La Boucle and Battant), but also and above all later on in Planoise, Clairs-Soleils, Palente, Orchamps or Saint-Claude, to name but a few. The Spaniards are integrating quite well, as are the French middle and lower classes, but they do have some difficulties, particularly with learning the French language. The Doubs prefecture has 245 Spaniards (including political refugees) naturalized since 1966, out of a total of 1,373 naturalized foreigners in Besançon, demonstrating the good integration of this community. There were four Spanish cultural and sporting associations in Besançon: Club deportivo español, Juventud española, Club Alegria, and Union Hispánica, all grouped together in 1972 by the municipality under the name “Centro español.”

After the Second World War, Italians arrived in France, along with Spaniards and Portuguese, to make up for the lack of manpower following the destruction caused by the previous war.{{Cite journal |last=Spagnoli |first=Frédéric |date=2017 |title=L'histoire des Italiens à Besançon à travers le site Internet Migrations à Besançon |trans-title=The history of Italians in Besançon through the Migrations à Besançon website |url=https://hal.science/hal-02985851v1 |journal=Journée de l'italien / Giornata dell'italiano |language=fr |location=Besançon, France}} In 1946, this community was the largest in the city with 810 nationals, followed by the Swiss with 570 and the Poles with 133, for a total of 1,863 foreigners. The Battant district remained the preferred area for Italians arriving in the Comtois capital. Although Italian immigration to Besançon goes back a long way, the post-war period was different in one respect: the migrants' geographical origins. In fact, it was no longer a question of Italians from the North alone, but also from the Centre and the South. In 1950, they were still the city's largest foreign community, followed by Algerians and Spaniards. Like most of the city's foreign communities, Italians worked mainly as masons, but also as earthworkers on the many construction sites that dotted the city. According to the 1954 census, there were 1,017 Italians in Besançon, and 6,002 in the whole of the Doubs department.

At the time, an estimated 30% (301 people) lived in the Battant area, while 27% (277 people) lived in the so-called outer zone, comprising the districts of Rosemont, Saint-Ferjeux, Montrapon-Fontaine-Écu as well as Saint-Claude and Palente: the city was undergoing rapid urban and demographic expansion, and the historic center was starting to become too small. A preponderant number of Italians worked in the construction sector: of the 28 companies specializing in building and construction registered in Besançon in the 1956 Doubs telephone directory, nearly twenty had Italian-sounding names such as Bianchi, Bonsignori, Contini, Lorenzon, Rodari, and others. Although the Fascist regime was no longer in place in Italy, the adaptation and integration of immigrants from that country to life in France was not without its problems, as evidenced by certain prejudices and insults such as “Rital” and “Macaroni”. In 1968, the Italian community was still the largest in the city, numbering some 2,300 people. However, local historians Aimé Bouilly and Colette Bourlier estimate that by 1965, there were virtually no more arrivals of Italian workers, apart from a few Calabrians and Sicilians.

Portuguese immigration began in the 1960s, for economic (insufficient internal economic development, poverty, etc.) and/or political reasons (following wars of decolonization in Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea-Cape Verde, the length of military service was increased to four years, and soldiers were sent to the front in Africa).{{Cite web |title=L'immigration portugaise en France |trans-title=Portuguese immigration to France |url=https://migrations.besancon-bourgogne-franche-comte.fr/histoire/national/note-historique-limmigration-portugaise-en-france/ |access-date=October 9, 2010 |website=Migrations.Besançon.fr |language=fr}} The Portuguese community in France and Besançon had no trouble finding jobs, particularly in the building and public works sector, the automotive industry and general industry. The integration of the Portuguese in France has been rather difficult, not least because of the severe restrictions placed by the Salazarist governments on legal departures, which had the effect of creating a much more clandestine Portuguese immigration to France, but also because this community encountered difficulties in learning the language, integrating into society and acquiring housing. Most of the new migrants to France lived in shantytowns or insalubrious areas, as was the case in Champigny-sur-Marne in the Paris suburbs; in parallel, in Besançon, this new community lived in transit housing estates, notably in the Tour de l'Amitié I.{{Cite web |title=La cité de l'Amitié |trans-title=The City of Friendship |url=http://migrations.besancon.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=208&Itemid=532 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029191216/http://migrations.besancon.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=208&Itemid=532 |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |access-date=August 24, 2010 |website=Migrations.Besançon.fr |language=fr}}

Subsequently, the situation improved for the Portuguese: shantytowns and slums disappeared in favor of real homes, and the community gradually integrated into French society. The Carnation Revolution in 1974, followed by the end of the colonial wars in Africa and Portugal's entry into the European Union in 1986, considerably changed the image of Portugal and its inhabitants in the eyes of the rest of Europe, at the same time as the real situation improved for both the Portuguese who remained at home and those who emigrated to France. In 1979, the year of the peak of Portuguese immigration to Besançon, they formed the city's second largest foreign community with 1,800 individuals, whereas by 1999 they had dwindled to 922, making them the city's third largest foreign community behind the Algerians and Moroccans. Jacky da Costa, a Portuguese from Besançon, has written his memoirs (Mémoire de la Communauté silencieuse), in which he recounts his life in the towns of Barco and Covilhã, then his arrival in Besançon and his involvement in Luso-Bisontinental associations marked by his Christian faith. He estimates the number of Portuguese in the region at 12,000.

{{See also|Immigration to France|Trente Glorieuses}}File:Planoise depuis colline de Rosemont.JPG (1959–1968).]]

Immigration from the Maghreb began in the early 1950s, but more particularly from the 1960s onwards, when the Maghreb countries gained their independence,{{Cite web |title=L'histoire des musulmans de Besançon |trans-title=The history of Muslims in Besançon |url=http://migrations.besancon.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=882&Itemid=73&limit=1&limitstart=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100807000000/http://migrations.besancon.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=882&Itemid=73 |archive-date=August 7, 2010 |access-date=May 11, 2015 |website=Migrations.Besançon.fr |language=fr}} until the 1970s and 1980s in the case of Morocco. The fact that, from 1947 to 1962, Algerian Muslims were regional migrants like Bretons and Corsicans, with the right to vote and the same rights and duties as other French citizens, largely contributed to the exodus of this population in Besançon, as elsewhere in France.{{Harvtxt|Noiriel|2007|p=517}} This freedom of immigration granted to Algerians by the French state, even after the country's independence in 1962, can be explained by France's unprecedented economic growth, which required an enormous workforce, and the city of Besançon was no exception.

Immigration policy became stricter from 1974 onwards, although many Algerians settled in the Comtois capital after this date, particularly in 1976, the peak year for Algerian immigration to Besançon. Moroccans began to immigrate to Besançon in significant numbers from 1968 onwards, and their population continued to grow until the 1980s. This continuation of North African immigration well after the end of mass immigration can be explained by the policy of family reunification, allowing the spouse and children under the age of eighteen of a foreign national legally authorized to reside in the French territory to join them.{{Cite web |title=L'immigration en France |trans-title=Immigration in France |url=http://www.vie-publique.fr/politiques-publiques/politique-immigration/chronologie-immigration/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050607171034/http://www.vie-publique.fr/politiques-publiques/politique-immigration/chronologie-immigration/ |archive-date=June 7, 2005 |access-date=August 22, 2010 |website=Vie-publique.fr |language=fr}} A 1982 interview with Abderrahmane Lahlou, the Algerian consul in Besançon, shows just how important Algerian immigration has been in Besançon and the Franche-Comté region, changing the face of the population and bringing new customs as well as another religion, Islam, represented by various associations and also by the city's Algerian consulate. A report from the same year states that 50,000 Muslims were living in Franche-Comté at the time.{{Cite web |title=Le début du ramadan à Besançon |trans-title=The start of Ramadan in Besançon |url=https://video-streaming.orange.fr/actu-politique/le-debut-du-ramadan-a-besancon-CNT00000196NPe.html |access-date=May 20, 2010 |website=INA |language=fr}}

File:L'amitié(Besançon).JPG

For years, the former soldiers who chose to settle in the city occupied abandoned casemates in the glacis (near the Viotte train station), living in “appalling conditions”, before local figures such as Mayor Jean Minjoz, Freemason Henri Huot, Protestant pastor Jean Carbonare and Abbé Chays joined forces to ensure decent living conditions for them.{{Cite web |last=Falga |first=Pierre |date=June 28, 2007 |title=Immigration: un cocktail sans surprises |trans-title=Immigration: a cocktail with no surprises |url=http://www.lexpress.fr/region/immigration-un-cocktail-sans-surprises_476355.html |access-date=August 16, 2010 |website=L'Express |language=fr}} In the 1960s, a number of transit “cités” were built to accommodate former colonials as well as North African immigrants who had recently arrived to work in the area. These housing groups included Founottes, which later became Escale, Amitié, and Acacias. Other immigrants from North Africa also spread out to other new districts of the city, such as Clairs-Soleils, Montrapon-Fontaine-Écu, and later Planoise, Orchamps, and Palente, as well as the “408”.{{Cite web |date=August 26, 2014 |title=La cité des Acacias n'existera plus ce matin |trans-title=The Acacias housing estate will no longer exist this morning |url=https://www.sudouest.fr/gironde/bordeaux-rive-droite/la-cite-des-acacias-n-existera-plus-ce-matin-8064287.php |access-date=May 9, 2025 |website=SudOuest.fr |language=fr-FR}}

Many Harkis also settled in the Besançon area in the 1960s. In 1962, Harkis families settled in the city, notably in the buildings on chemin des Montarmots, in the buildings for repatriates on rue de Vesoul and in Saint-Claude, in Montrapon, in Orchamps, in Palente, as well as in the prefabs in Franois, Saône, and the Valdahon military camp. In 1966, there were 488 Harkis families in the Doubs department, more than half of them in Besançon and the surrounding area. In 1986, a new census was carried out, showing 428 families in the department, 2/3 of whom lived in the Besançon conurbation and 1/3 in the Pays de Montbéliard conurbation, representing some 3,000 people with their children.{{Cite web |title=Algérie : en savoir plus sur les harkis |trans-title=Algeria: finding out more about the harkis |url=https://migrations.besancon-bourgogne-franche-comte.fr/histoire/national/algerie-en-savoir-plus-sur-les-harkis/ |access-date=October 6, 2010 |website=Migrations.Besançon.fr |language=fr}}

From the 1970s onwards, the Comtois capital received no more than sixty immigrants a year from Cambodia and Vietnam, who came to study at Besançon's Center for Applied Linguistics, most of whom were Buddhists.{{Cite web |title=Diversité des migrations asiatiques |trans-title=Diversity of Asian migration |url=https://www.histoire-immigration.fr/presences-asiatiques-en-france/diversite-des-migrations-asiatiques |access-date=May 31, 2010 |website=histoire-immigration.fr |language=fr}} After the fall of Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975, some 30 Cambodians and Vietnamese were granted refugee status and decided to settle in the Comtois town. Then, little by little, dozens of immigrants made their way to Besançon until the end of the 1970s, thanks in particular to Father Gilles. Social buildings were renovated and rented out to Asian migrants in the Saint-Ferjeux area, and the Forum de Planoise became the only building in France run by a Centre communal d'action sociale to house a temporary accommodation center for the Asian population. Father Gilles also succeeded in integrating part of the population by finding them work. He has also repatriated some 50 Thai prisoners, a dozen of whom have settled in Besançon.

File:Statue de la diversité.JPG, symbolizing inclusivity.|234x234px]]

From the 1980s onwards, immigration to the Comtois capital and France changed completely. Although migratory flows continued in the city, they were far less massive than in the post-war period. As a result, the face of the immigrant population has begun to change: most are skilled or highly skilled (“the chosen workforce”, who entered France legally), while others are unskilled and/or sometimes come from an immigrant background of poverty (“illegal workers,” who most often entered the country illegally). These new migrants to Besançon generally come from Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, or Central Europe. The number of Italians and Spaniards has been falling sharply since the 1980s, and Swiss, Algerians, and Portuguese have also seen a slight decline in their numbers, as have Moroccans, whose demographic growth more than doubled between 1975 and 1990 (from 934 to 2,057). The Turkish community, which settled in the Comtois capital in the 1970s, is also growing rapidly, although its population is small compared to the city's other foreigners.{{Cite web |title=L'immigration turque en Franche-Comté |trans-title=Turkish immigration to Franche-Comté |url=http://migrations.besancon.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=990&Itemid=77 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230043549/http://migrations.besancon.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=990&Itemid=77 |archive-date=December 30, 2010 |access-date=August 14, 2010 |website=Migrations.Besançon.fr |language=fr}} The city of Besançon, which has become a veritable regional capital, continues to attract a large number of foreigners, including researchers and foreign students, as well as other migrants leaving their countries for economic or political reasons, such as the populations of former migrants, including Italians. Migrants from Eastern Europe, particularly the Balkans (including Roma from Macedonia and Kosovo) and the rest of Eastern Europe, settle in the city for economic and political reasons.

These new migrants generally face the same social, linguistic and integration problems as the populations who arrived in the 1920s or during the Trente Glorieuses. However, many associations have sprung up to help them, and to open up life in Bisont to the cultures of the world. Many immigrants and their descendants retain emotional ties with their homelands, while considering Besançon as their own city. Figures show the evolution of migratory flows: in 1975, the city's main communities were Algerians (3,837), Portuguese (1,907), Italians (1,756), Moroccans (901) and Tunisians (300); in 1983, Algerians were still in first place with 1,718, followed by Portuguese (1,650), Moroccans (1,473), Italians (1,022) and Spaniards (572); finally, the Moroccan community took first place in 1990 with 2,057 people, closely followed by the Algerians in second place with 2,024 people, the Portuguese (1,316 people), the Italians (717 people) and the Turks (464 people).

File:Origine immigrés Franche Comté.jpgOverall, the Franche-Comté region has experienced a very similar level of immigration to Besançon, despite some disparities between cities and departments. However, the history and sociology of these foreigners at regional level is a relevant source for understanding immigration to the Comtois capital.{{Cite web |title=L'immigration en 1999 dans la région Franche-Comté |trans-title=Immigration to the Franche-Comté region in 1999 |url=http://www.insee.fr/fr/insee_regions/f-comte/themes/thematiques/immigration_FC/2_ImmigresFC.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229184549/http://www.insee.fr/fr/insee_regions/f-comte/themes/thematiques/immigration_FC/2_ImmigresFC.pdf |archive-date=December 29, 2009 |access-date=October 23, 2010 |website=INSEE |language=fr}}File:Franche-Comté region locator map.svg, a crossroads of European populations.]]The Franche-Comté region has a foreign population of 5.9%, slightly lower than the national figure of 7.4%. Immigration to the region began to decline in 1975, with a total drop of 14%, while the whole of France saw a continuation or increase in these flows. In 1999, Franc-Comtois migrants came first from the fifteen European countries outside France (Germany, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Denmark, United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, and Sweden) with 34%, followed by the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) with 31%, other European countries with 14%, Turkey with 11%, other Asian countries with 5%, sub-Saharan Africa with 4%, and finally America and Oceania with 1%. More than 100 countries are represented in Franche-Comté, the five largest of which are Morocco (15.7%), Algeria (14.1%), Portugal (13.9%), Italy (12%), and Turkey (10.6%), together accounting for more than two-thirds of the region's migrants. There is also a high proportion of migrants from former Yugoslavia, accounting for 4.8% of the city's immigrants, compared with 1.7% nationally. Franche-Comté is also France's leading region for Turkish immigrants, after Alsace in terms of numbers, although this community only ranks fifth among foreigners.

The sociology of Franche-Comté immigration includes some similarities, but also some differences from that of the region's French population. The 1999 age pyramid shows that the immigrant population is ageing, with 25% of Franche-Comté immigrants aged 60 and over, 40% aged between 40 and 59, and 35% aged under 40; in 1975, the over-60s were just over 5%, while the under-40s were around 70%. In 1999, women accounted for 50% of the immigrant population, whereas men represented 60% in 1975. These sociological aspects are sometimes very different from one nationality to another.

In the 1999 general population census, Besançon's immigrant population numbered 10,426, representing 8.9% of the commune's total population. The main countries of origin were Algeria (1,933), Morocco (1,485), Portugal (1,010), Italy (800) and Turkey (482), giving a very similar ranking between immigration in the city and in the rest of Franche-Comté, except that Algerians came first and Moroccans second.{{Cite web |title=Principaux traits de l'immigration dans les plus grandes villes de Franche-Comté |trans-title=Main features of immigration in Franche-Comté's largest cities |url=http://www.insee.fr/fr/insee_regions/f-comte/rfc/docs/5%20-%20Traits.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051025220952/http://www.insee.fr/fr/insee_regions/f-comte/rfc/docs/5%20-%20Traits.pdf |archive-date=October 25, 2005 |access-date=October 30, 2010 |website=INSEE |language=fr}} Over 53.1% of this immigrant population were HLM tenants, and the unemployment rate among them was 29.3%.

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Immigration to Besançon has often disrupted local life. Indeed, new populations have almost always had an impact on the city's history (the rise of the city under Roman rule, the colonial settlers of the 1st and 2nd World Wars), demographics (the increase in the population of Besançon during the various waves of immigration), culture (artists from immigrant families, the appearance of new architecture) or religion (the emergence of Judaism, Islam and Buddhism), and sometimes even the economy (the founding of the watchmaking industry by the Swiss, immigration in the 1960s for labor). The Sequani and Romans laid early foundations, with Roman structures like the Porte Noire enduring. Jewish settlers introduced commerce and religious diversity, with the 1869 Besançon Synagogue as a testament. Swiss watchmakers established a key industry, while Italians influenced Renaissance architecture, notably the Palais Granvelle. Post-war Maghrebi, Spanish, and Portuguese workers built modern neighborhoods like Planoise, leaving a lasting urban footprint. Associations and symbols like the Statue of Diversity reflect Besançon’s inclusive identity.

File:Croissance population Besançon.jpg

Until 1946, the city's two main foreign communities were Italians and Swiss, the result of several long-standing waves of immigration. However, from 1954 onwards, the trend was reversed for the Swiss, who became less and less numerous, in contrast to the Italians, who experienced a new migratory surge at this time. New communities also appeared at this time: Algerians arrived in 1954, reaching their peak in 1976; Spaniards also arrived in the city at this time, but this wave of migration was short-lived, as the Spanish population began to decline from 1968 onwards. As for the Portuguese, they had been settling in the Comtoise capital since 1962, and their arrival was particularly significant until 1977. Finally, the city's Moroccan population immigrated from 1968 until the 1980s. Other, more minor influxes took place at the end of the 1960s, but remained at a relatively low level, as in the case of Tunisians, Yugoslavs, and Turks. From the end of the 1970s and throughout the 1980s, the populations of the older waves of migrants declined. Italian, Spanish and Portuguese communities saw their numbers halved. Algerian immigration is also declining, while Moroccans and Turks are still on the rise. New nationalities are increasing in number, notably from sub-Saharan African countries such as Senegal, but also from South-East Asia.

Immigration flows between 1946 and 1970, coinciding with the massive arrival of French families from the countryside, increased the population of Bisont from 65,000 to over 120,000.{{Harvtxt|Gagnieux|2008|p=20–23, 34, 50}} It is estimated that between 1946 and 1999, the city of Besançon welcomed a total of 131,316 foreigners of all nationalities. These new populations are particularly visible in certain districts of the city, notably Planoise, where in 2008 there were more than 50 different nationalities.{{Cite web |last=Sultan |first=Mylène |date=February 11, 2008 |title=Planoise, à la mode des villes nouvelles |trans-title=Planoise, in the style of new towns |url=http://www.lexpress.fr/region/4-planoise-a-la-mode-des-villes-nouvelles_473419.html |access-date=September 23, 2010 |website=L'Express}}

File:Saint-Ferréol et Saint-Ferjeux.JPGThe population of Besançon and much of Franche-Comté has been predominantly Catholic since the region was evangelized in the 3rd century by the martyred saints Ferjeux and Ferréol, although some historians question the veracity of this version.{{Cite book |url=https://patrimoine.bourgognefranchecomte.fr/mediatheques/la-cathedrale-saint-jean-de-besancon-2 |title=La cathédrale Saint-Jean de Besançon |publisher=City of Besançon |year=2006 |page=6 |language=fr |trans-title=Saint John’s Cathedral in Besançon}}{{Cite web |title=Les saints Ferjeux et Ferréol |trans-title=Saints Ferjeux and Ferréol |url=http://catholique-besancon.cef.fr/l_eglise_diocesaine/les-paroisses-unites-pastorales/doyenne-banlieue-val-de-lognon/unite-pastorale-du-pays-de-franois/les-saints-patrons/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081024030908/http://catholique-besancon.cef.fr/l_eglise_diocesaine/les-paroisses-unites-pastorales/doyenne-banlieue-val-de-lognon/unite-pastorale-du-pays-de-franois/les-saints-patrons/ |archive-date=October 24, 2008 |access-date=2010-08-20 |website=Diocese of Besançon}}{{Harvtxt|Fohlen|1965|p=161–167}}{{Cite journal |last=Jeannin |first=Yves |year=1992 |title=Le peuple christianisé à la recherche de « ses martyrs » : le cas de Besançon |trans-title=The Christianized people in search of “their martyrs”: The case of Besançon |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/ista_0000-0000_1992_ant_463_1_1340 |journal=Mélanges Pierre Lévêque |language=fr |pages=127–138}} Over the centuries, dozens of churches were built in and around the Comtois capital, and although the Reformation and the separation of Church and State disrupted the omnipotence of the Church in Franche-Comté, Christianity still remains the majority religion in the region.{{Cite web |title=La Réforme à Besançon et à la Chapelle des Buis |trans-title=The Reformation in Besançon and at Chapelle des Buis |url=http://vududoubs.doubs.fr/pdf/172.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414060948/http://vududoubs.doubs.fr/pdf/172.pdf |archive-date=April 14, 2015 |access-date=August 18, 2010 |website=Besançon Votre Ville}}{{Cite book |title=Besançon autrefois |publisher=Éditions Cêtre |year=1995 |pages=64–72 |trans-title=Besançon in the past}}

Other religions and congregations appeared over the centuries, notably with immigration: Jews since the Middle Ages, the Reformed Protestantism from the 16th century onwards, followed by Muslims from the 1870s, then Buddhism in the 1970s, and finally an Orthodox Christian community founded in 2006.{{Cite web |last=Serrano |first=Julia |date=May 15, 2017 |title=Pratiquer le bouddhisme en Franche-Comté, c'est possible ! |trans-title=It's possible to practice Buddhism in Franche-Comté! |url=https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/bourgogne-franche-comte/jura/pratiquer-bouddhisme-franche-comte-c-est-possible-1251421.html |access-date=May 9, 2025 |website=France Info}}{{Cite web |title=Protection de la Mère de Dieu et Saint Georges |trans-title=Protection of the Mother of God and Saint George |url=http://orthodoxie25.free.fr/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912102150/http://orthodoxie25.free.fr/ |archive-date=September 12, 2007 |access-date=May 4, 2010 |website=Orthodoxie25}}

;File:Château de la juive - février 2010.JPG.]]

{{Main|History of the Jews in Besançon}}

Today, Judaism is the third-largest religion in Bisont, after Christianity and Islam, with around 150 families, mainly shopkeepers, executives, and employees. Post-war immigration from North Africa has given a new face to the city's Jewish community, to the extent that synagogue services are now held under the Sephardic rite. Numerous traces of the community's importance remain, including the Besançon synagogue, the city's Jewish cemetery, and the Château de la Juive. Since the 1970s, the community has had an association (the “Maison Jérôme Cahen”), as well as the Besançon Shalom radio station since 2008, under the aegis of the Besançon consistory.{{Cite web |title=Radio Shalom Besançon-Dijon |url=https://radioshalombesancon.com/ |access-date=March 19, 2010 |website=Radio Shalom Besançon-Dijon |language=fr}}

{{Main|Islam in Besançon}}

Islam has been present in Franche-Comté since the 1870s, with the presence in the region of colonial soldiers, most of whom came from the Maghreb. However, Islam did not take root until the 1960s, following the massive arrival of immigrants from the former French colonies, many of them from North Africa. After many difficulties linked to the integration of this new population and to the problems encountered in practicing the Muslim religion, the Bisontine community gradually began to organize itself, and associations began to emerge in the late 1980s, such as the Sunna association. In the 1990s, the first prayer halls were opened, followed by the Sunna mosque in Besançon.

The 21st century brought prosperity to the Besançon community, with sufficient places of worship in the city's main districts. However, the Muslim communities of Besançon and France are also experiencing a great deal of controversy, notably over the burqa, the place of minarets in France and, less directly, the question of national identity.{{Cite web |title=Le débat sur le voile intégral |trans-title=The debate on the full veil |url=https://www.courrierinternational.com/dossier/2010/01/28/le-debat-sur-le-voile-integral |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205010701/https://www.courrierinternational.com/dossier/2010/01/28/le-debat-sur-le-voile-integral |archive-date=February 5, 2010 |access-date=August 11, 2010 |website=Courrier International}}{{Cite web |date=April 21, 2010 |title=Un projet de loi pour interdire le voile intégral en France |trans-title=A bill to ban the full veil in France |url=http://www.lepoint.fr/actualites-societe/2010-04-21/gouvernement-projet-de-loi-le-port-du-voile-integral-sera-bientot-totalement/920/0/446417 |access-date=August 11, 2010 |website=Le Point}}{{Cite web |last=Gabizon |first=Cécilia |date=November 30, 2009 |title=La place des minarets en France |trans-title=The place of minarets in France |url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2009/11/30/01016-20091130ARTFIG00387-minarets-un-debat-qui-pourrait-concerner-la-france-.php |access-date=August 11, 2010 |website=Le Figaro}} According to radio station France Bleu Besançon, in 2010 the city had 15,000 Muslims, representing around 13% of Besançon's total population and placing this faith second only to Christianity in terms of numbers.{{Cite web |last=Rhouma |first=Hanan Ben |date=December 10, 2009 |title=L'islam et le débat sur l'identité nationale en France |trans-title=Islam and the debate on national identity in France |url=http://www.saphirnews.com/L-islam-mine-par-l-identite-nationale_a10877.html |access-date=August 18, 2010 |website=Saphirnews}}

File:L'église Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Besançon - arrière - 3.JPG, Orthodox section.]]Since 2006, Besançon has officially been home to an Orthodox religious community, with a parish located on the side of the Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Bregille church. The community, which has taken the name of Protection de la Mère de Dieu et Saint Georges (Protection of the Mother of God and Saint George), comes mainly from Romania, Russia, and the whole of Eastern Europe. This Orthodox group is recognized and integrated into the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Western and Southern Europe. It is one of the city's only Eastern churches. The Saint-Vasilije Ostroski Cudotvorac parish on chemin des Quatrouillots in the Saint-Claude district is home to the Serbian Orthodox community.{{Cite web |title=L'église orthodoxe serbe de Besançon |trans-title=The Serbian Orthodox Church of Besançon |url=http://www.egliseorthodoxeserbe.org/fr/fparohi/besancon/index.php |access-date=May 5, 2010 |website=Serbian Orthodox Diocese of France and Western Europe |language=bs}}

The Reformed Protestants of Besançon have been present in the city since the 16th century, but their community of just a few members was not recognized. It wasn't until the early 19th century that negotiations began between the Protestants and the city, and on January 6, 1805, they acquired the former Capucins chapel, now called the Temple de Chamars, as a place of worship. However, the building had to close, and the last service was held on April 24, 1842, as the chapel had to be reallocated by the city for the artillery arsenal. The former chapel of the Hospitaliers du Saint-Esprit hospital was thus offered to the Protestants of Besançon as a new place of worship, following restoration of the building by the city. In 1842, the city ceded the chapel and the adjacent tower of the former hospital to the Protestant community, and on April 28, 1842, the Temple du Saint-Esprit was dedicated.

File:Buddha statue, Nha Trang.jpg statue.]]

As soon as it was integrated into the population of Besançon, the Asian community, and more particularly the Cambodians, asserted their desire to practice their religion, and so the “Centre bouddhique de Besançon” was created to set up a pagoda in a building in Planoise. In 1982, a monk who had just arrived from Cambodia took up residence in the Comtois capital to perform religious ceremonies and guide practitioners, but later left the city. Thus, Buddhists in Bisont refer to the bonzes of Lyon and Nancy. The city's Laotian and Vietnamese communities encountered a number of difficulties related to their worship (e.g. recourse to pagodas outside the city, or the practice of spirit worship requiring a life close to nature), which gradually led to a decline in the practice of Buddhist worship. In 1990, the “Association bouddhiste vietnamienne de Besançon” (Besançon Vietnamese Buddhist Association) was set up, bringing in a bonze from Paris for community celebrations. Although efforts have been made, Buddhism is in decline in the Comtois capital, mainly due to young people's ignorance of their parents' religion, but also and above all due to the lack of infrastructure and Buddhist representatives in the city. A report from 1988 by France 3 shows the organization of the festival of flowers and the dead in Besançon by the Association des Cambodgiens de Franche-Comté. For the first time, this event was celebrated at the same time by the Laotian, Cambodian, and Vietnamese communities, who came for the occasion from all over eastern France. This report shows the rite of the Feast of the Dead, and reports that 3,000 people from South-East Asia were living in Franche-Comté at the time. The festival was also an opportunity to raise funds for the Planoise Buddhist Cultural Center.{{Cite web |title=Une fête cambodgienne à Besançon |trans-title=A Cambodian festival in Besançon |url=http://www.ina.fr/economie-et-societe/vie-sociale/video/BEC8810222282/fete-cambodgienne-a-besancon.fr.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100807000000/http://www.ina.fr/economie-et-societe/vie-sociale/video/BEC8810222282/fete-cambodgienne-a-besancon.fr.html |archive-date=2010-08-07 |access-date=2010-05-31 |website=Institut National de l’Audiovisuel}}

File:Magasin asiatique - Planoise.JPG

New Chinese immigration is bringing vitality to the community and giving it a new face. Numerous Chinese stores, including restaurants, have opened in the Comtoise capital, as in the Planoise district and the city's historic center.{{Cite web |title=La communauté asiatique de Besançon |trans-title=The Asian community of Besançon |url=http://lemicromonde.univ-fcomte.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=137&Itemid=37 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420234742/http://lemicromonde.univ-fcomte.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=137&Itemid=37 |archive-date=April 20, 2009 |access-date=June 10, 2010 |website=Le Micromonde, University of Franche-Comté}} In addition to the Buddhist Center, Besançon now boasts a Kagyüpa-type association called “Association Émergences,” founded in 2003, as well as the “Groupe Shambhala Bouddhiste de Besançon,” located in the Fontaine-Argent area.{{Cite web |title=Association Émergences |trans-title=Emergences Association |url=http://www.emergences.info/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050126022632/http://www.haut-doubs.net/php/ot.php?type=3&idOt=14 |archive-date=January 26, 2005 |access-date=May 12, 2010 |website=Émergences |language=fr}}{{Cite web |title=Groupe Shambhala Bouddhiste de Besançon |trans-title=Shambhala Buddhist Group of Besançon |url=http://besancon.shambhala.fr/index.php?id=1000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014082222/http://besancon.shambhala.fr/index.php?id=1000 |archive-date=October 14, 2007 |access-date=May 12, 2010 |website=Shambhala Besançon}} Buddhism is currently the fourth most popular religion in Besançon, after Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

File:Fete de la musique à Planoise.JPG in Planoise, a meeting point for diverse communities.]]

In addition to the emergence of new religions, immigrant populations have brought their own customs and habits, including language, dress codes and the arts (especially music). Although these cultures are generally forgotten, they are still present in France and the Comtois capital.{{Cite web |last=Godard |first=Philippe |title=Qu'est-ce qu'un immigré ? |trans-title=What is an immigrant? |url=https://migrations.besancon-bourgogne-franche-comte.fr/zooms-encyclo/quest-ce-quun-immigre/ |access-date=September 20, 2009 |website=Migrations.Besançon.fr}}

Only Arabic and Portuguese remain stable, albeit on the fringes, being understood and correctly spoken in 2% of French households in the case of the former, and 1% in the case of the latter. However, it's not uncommon to hear these languages in places that are typical of certain parts of the city, such as halal butcher shops and markets, particularly in Planoise. It's also worth noting that some Arabic and foreign words are present in contemporary French slang, not least because French people of North African origin are a significant component of the populations of working-class neighborhoods.{{Cite web |title=Enseigner et apprendre l'Arabe en France comme « Langue étrangère » |trans-title=Teaching and learning Arabic as a foreign language in France |url=http://www.dilap.com/contributions/banlieue-beur/beur-arabe.htm |access-date=September 20, 2010 |website=Dilap}} Traditional dress is rarely worn, although the presence of Islamic veils and traditional costumes (mainly hijabs and djellabas) is occasionally visible, but mainly worn by the first generation, of North African origin.File:Planoise Algérie.jpg during qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.]]

The Planoise district, which organizes its own music festival, Fête de la Musique, thanks to local residents, features oriental, Kabyle, Turkish, Kosovar, and world music, demonstrating the city's ethnic diversity and introducing its residents to traditional music, mostly from Muslim countries. However, few singers of foreign origin from Bisont have performed songs in languages other than French (or English), with the younger generation generally preferring hip-hop. Paradoxically, although the younger generation of Moroccan and North African origin is less scrupulous about applying their parents' religion and customs, they consider themselves more nationals of their home countries than of France, and keep in regular contact with their parents' countries of origin.{{Cite web |title=Écrans et migration maghrébine en France depuis les années 1960 |trans-title=Screens and North African migration in France since the 1960s |url=https://rmhi-grandest.fr/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Les-%C3%A9crans-de-limmigration-en-Franche-Comt%C3%A9-1968-1980.pdf |access-date=May 9, 2025 |website=rmhi-grandest.fr |language=fr}}File:Association culturelle turque française de Planoise.JPG.]]

Arab-Muslims have several associations at their disposal: the Sunna Association, present in the town's main mosque, and the Al-Fath Association, present in the eponymous Planoise mosque. The city's Turkish community can worship through the Association Culturelle des Turcs de Besançon and the Amicale Franco-Turque de Besançon-Planoise, located in the Châteaufarine prayer hall, as well as the Association de la Jeunesse Musulmane de Besançon and the Association islamique des Turcs de Besançon, located in the Clairs-Soleils prayer hall. There is also an Italian association in the Comtois capital: the Sardinian Association "Su Tirsu", located on rue de Belfort. These organizations foster cultural preservation and community integration.

The Comtois capital has always been home to personalities from other countries. Many of Bisont's leading figures have parents or grandparents who are Arab-Muslim, African or from European regions other than France—such as Italy, Central Europe, or Belgium—or were themselves born abroad and later moved to the city. Still others have studied or worked in the city, as is the case for most of Bisont's artists and sportsmen and women. Their involvement in the life of Bisont thus highlights the ethnic diversity and cosmopolitanism of the Comtois capital.

File:Statue Veil-Picard - Besançon.JPG

A number of personalities from Europe have left their mark on Besançon, such as Laurent Mégevand from Geneva, founder of the Besançon watchmaking industry, Franco-Belgian scriptwriter Jean-François Di Giorgio and Italian-born sculptor Jean-Baptiste Francesqui.{{Cite web |title=Jean-François Di Giorgio |url=http://www.evene.fr/celebre/biographie/jean-francois-di-gorgio-19876.php |access-date=September 21, 2010 |website=Evene.fr |date=1961 |language=fr}} Footballers Ryszard Tarasiewicz, Henri Skiba and Stefan Białas of Polish origin, Rudi Strittich and Camillo Jerusalem of Austrian origin, and Eddy Dublin of Luxembourg played for Besançon Racing Club.{{Cite web |title=Les footballeurs du Besançon Racing Club |trans-title=Footballers of Besançon Racing Club |url=https://www.mondefootball.fr/teams/besancon-rc/10/ |access-date=September 21, 2009 |website=Mondefootball.fr}} But other personalities from Besançon also had strong links with other European countries, such as Besançon-born Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle, who was Archbishop of Malines-Brussels, State Councillor to Charles V and Philip II of Spain, Prime Minister of the Spanish Netherlands, Viceroy of Naples and President of the Supreme Council of Italy and Castile.{{Cite web |title=Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06727a.htm |access-date=September 21, 2010 |website=Catholic Encyclopedia |language=fr}} Viviane Wade, wife of Senegal's current head of state Abdoulaye Wade, was born in Besançon.{{Cite web |title=Biographie officielle de Viviane Wade |trans-title=Official biography of Viviane Wade |url=http://www.presidence.sn/spip.php?article53 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080813150803/http://www.presidence.sn/spip.php?article53 |archive-date=August 13, 2008 |access-date=September 22, 2009 |website=Government of Senegal}}

Numerous Jewish personalities from Besançon, most of them from Central Europe, have also contributed to the city's history, including the Veil-Picard family of Alsatian origin,{{Cite book |last=Genevoy |first=Robert |title=Les Veil-Picard : une famille de financiers franc-comtois |publisher=Éditions Cêtre |year=1985 |pages=15–32 |trans-title=The Veil-Picard family: A family of Franche-Comté financiers}} the Lipmann family (founders of Lip),{{Cite web |last=Falga |first=Pierre |date=June 28, 2007 |title=Joseph Pinard : « En 1913, chez Lip, un salarié sur trois était suisse » |trans-title=Joseph Pinard: “In 1913, one in three Lip employees was Swiss” |url=http://www.lexpress.fr/region/joseph-pinard-laquo-en-1913-chez-lip-un-salari-eacute-sur-trois-eacute-tait-suisse-raquo_476357.html |access-date=September 19, 2009 |website=L’Express}}{{Harvtxt|Fohlen|1965|p=523}} the Weil family and rabbis Paul Haguenauer and René Gutman.{{Cite web |title=Paul Haguenauer |url=http://judaisme.sdv.fr/histoire/rabbins/haguen/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051016111207/http://judaisme.sdv.fr/histoire/rabbins/haguen/index.htm |archive-date=October 16, 2005 |access-date=March 16, 2010 |website=Judaism in Alsace |language=fr}}{{Cite web |title=René Gutman |url=http://judaisme.sdv.fr/histoire/rabbins/gutman/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212194541/http://judaisme.sdv.fr/histoire/rabbins/gutman/index.htm |archive-date=December 12, 2009 |access-date=2010-03-16 |website=Judaism in Alsace |language=fr}}

The Comtois capital is home to a number of prominent figures from the Maghreb, most of whom are of the Muslim faith. These include Rachid Djebaili, an Algerian footballer who grew up in Planoise, Mohamed Louhkiar, a Moroccan footballer,{{Cite web |title=Mohamed Louhkiar |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur20968.html |access-date=June 6, 2010 |website=L’Équipe |language=fr}} Khedafi Djelkhir, a boxer of Algerian origin, Ghani Yalouz, a wrestler born in Casablanca,{{Cite web |title=Khedafi Djelkhir |url=http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=485346&cat=boxer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316220754/http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=485346&cat=boxer |archive-date=March 16, 2015 |access-date=June 6, 2010 |website=BoxRec |language=fr}}{{Cite web |title=Ghani Yalouz |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/22833 |access-date=April 25, 2025 |website=Olympedia |language=fr}} the rap group Mifa Saï Saï, city councillor Michel Omouri, and Salah Gaham, who died heroically trying to stop car fires during the 2005 riots.{{Cite web |title=BVV, numéro 340 (novembre 2009) |trans-title=Besançon Votre Ville, issue 340 (November 2009) |url=http://www.grandbesancon.fr/gallery_files/site_1/346/348/359/24921/bvv_novembre_2009.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303194937/http://www.grandbesancon.fr/gallery_files/site_1/346/348/359/24921/bvv_novembre_2009.pdf |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=June 6, 2010 |website=Grand Besançon |page=29}}

The town is home to a number of large immigrant families, the largest and best-known of which is the Hakkar family. Originally from Khenchela, the Hakkar family has a history typical of Algerian-Muslim families in the Comtois capital.{{Cite web |title=Le patchwork de la famille Hakkar |trans-title=The patchwork of the Hakkar family |url=http://www.lexpress.fr/region/le-patchwork-de-la-famille-hakkar_476353.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100623014429/http://www.lexpress.fr/region/le-patchwork-de-la-famille-hakkar_476353.html |archive-date=June 23, 2010 |access-date=June 6, 2010 |website=L’Express}} Merzoug Hakkar was one of the first Algerians to immigrate to the city in 1957, having fought on the side of France during the Second World War and then for Algerian independence. His family joined him in the following years, and little by little, the Hakkars became the city's largest family, currently numbering some 1,000 members. The most illustrious of these is boxer Morrade Hakkar, but other members are also doctors, lawyers, film-makers, and company directors.{{Cite web |title=Morrade Hakkar et Mamadou Thiam |trans-title=Morrade Hakkar and Mamadou Thiam |url=https://migrations.besancon-bourgogne-franche-comte.fr/temoignage/interview-morrade-hakkar-et-mamadou-thiam/ |access-date=September 22, 2010 |website=Migrations.Besançon.fr |language=fr}} Another family member, Abdelhamid Hakkar, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1989 for the murder of a policeman, Brigadier Alain Schaffer. After the European Court of Human Rights imposed a new trial, he was convicted again in 2003.{{Cite web |title=Claude Schaffer |url=http://policehommage.blogspot.fr/1984/08/claude-schaffer-csp-auxerre-89.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210004039/http://policehommage.blogspot.fr/1984/08/claude-schaffer-csp-auxerre-89.html |archive-date=February 10, 2015 |access-date=April 25, 2025 |website=Police Hommage |language=fr}}{{Cite web |last=Coignard |first=Jacqueline |date=February 20, 2003 |title=Vingt ans après les faits, Hakkar entame son vrai procès |trans-title=Twenty years after the facts, Hakkar begins his real trial |url=https://www.liberation.fr/societe/2003/02/20/vingt-ans-apres-les-faits-hakkar-entame-son-vrai-proces_431495/ |access-date=June 6, 2010 |website=Libération}}{{Cite news |date=March 19, 2012 |title=Libération d'Abdelhamid Hakkar, un des plus anciens détenus de France |trans-title=Release of Abdelhamid Hakkar, one of France's longest-serving prisoners |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2012/03/19/liberation-d-abdelhamid-hakkar-un-des-plus-anciens-detenus-de-france_1671893_3224.html |access-date=May 9, 2025 |language=fr}}

Aldo Naouri, a doctor of Judeo-Libyan origin, also passed through the town. Having spent a number of years in the Comtois capital, he has made a major contribution to pediatrics and, to a lesser extent, psychoanalysis.{{Cite web |title=Aldo Naouri |url=http://www.evene.fr/celebre/biographie/aldo-naouri-16916.php |access-date=September 8, 2011 |website=Evene.fr |date=22 December 1937 |language=fr}}

File:Mina Agossi.jpg at the Charlie Jazz Festival, July 2, 2005.]]

There are few black-African personalities from the Comtois capital, with the exception of Franco-Beninese jazz singer Mina Agossi and Senegalese Mamadou Thiam, who lived in the Clairs-Soleils district from the age of 11, where he grew up and made his debut in the rings. However, the town also boasts a number of prominent figures, such as current Senegalese head of state Abdoulaye Wade, who holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Franche-Comté, where he studied from 1952 to 1955 before articling at the Besançon Bar from 1955 to 1957; his wife Viviane Wade is a native of the town. Burkinabe players Tanguy Barro and Hamado Ouedraogo, Ivorians Georges Ba and Jean-Jacques Domoraud, Senegalese David Amadou M'Bodji, Congolese Thomas Florin, Malian Moussa Traoré, and Félicien Mbanza from Burundi have all played for Besançon Racing Club.

The city also boasts an Asian personality: rapper Lil Shaolin, one of whose parents is Vietnamese. He has filmed several clips about the city and the Planoise district, the most famous of which are “à 25 000 km/h” and “2.5 triple zéro.” An Indian is also popular in the Comtois capital: Siva Sivasankaran, a flower seller. He was already well known to the people of Bisonne for having sold roses in restaurants for many years, but his arrest and subsequent threat of eviction mobilized a good number of people in the city, giving it a certain local notoriety.{{Cite web |title=Besançon : Importante mobilisation en faveur du vendeur de roses |trans-title=Besançon: Significant mobilization in support of the rose seller |url=http://www.macommune.info/actualite/besancon-importante-mobilisation-en-faveur-du-vendeur-de-roses-14634.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612170342/http://www.macommune.info/actualite/besancon-importante-mobilisation-en-faveur-du-vendeur-de-roses-14634.html |archive-date=June 12, 2010 |access-date=September 22, 2010 |website=MaCommune.info}}

• Besançon Racing Club
• History of the Jews in Besançon
• Immigration to France
• Islam in Besançon
• Planoise
• University of Franche-Comté

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite book |last=Gagnieux |first=Alain |title=Étrangers de chez nous, L'immigration dans le Doubs et à Colombier-Fontaine (1850–1950) |trans-title=Foreigners among us: Immigration in Doubs and Colombier-Fontaine (1850–1950)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lLciAQAAIAAJ |publisher=Éditions du Sekoya |year=2001|page=167 |isbn=978-2-84751-003-4}}
• {{Cite book |last=Kawtar |first=Najib |title=Immigration et pratiques religieuses. La question de l'intégration. Les disparités de pratiques religieuses dans les quartiers de Besançon |trans-title=Immigration and religious practices: The question of integration. Disparities in religious practices in Besançon’s neighborhoods |publisher=Presses Universitaires de Franche-Comté |year=2008 |page=116}}
• {{Cite book |last=Fohlen |first=Claude |title=Histoire de Besançon |trans-title=History of Besançon |volume=II |publisher=Palais des Beaux-Arts|url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/bec_0373-6237_1966_num_124_2_449733_t1_0610_0000_4 |year=1965 |isbn=978-2-84066-073-6}}
• {{Cite book |last=Coindre |first=Gaston |title=Mon vieux Besançon |trans-title=My Old Besançon |publisher=Éditions de la Tour Gile|url=https://memoirevive.besancon.fr/ark:/48565/jtrmx7p8czwn |year=1912 |isbn=978-2-87823-095-6}}
• {{Cite book |last=Noiriel |first=Gérard |title=Immigration, antisémitisme et racisme en France |trans-title=Immigration, Antisemitism, and Racism in France|url=https://journals.openedition.org/questionsdecommunication/1941 |publisher=Fayard |year=2007 |isbn=978-2-213-63001-4}}
• {{Cite book |last1=Blanchard |first1=Pascal |last2=Lemaire |first2=Sandrine|url=https://archive.org/details/culturecoloniale0000pasc |title=Culture coloniale, la France conquise par son Empire (1873–1931) |trans-title=Colonial Culture: France Conquered by Its Empire (1873–1931) |publisher=Éditions Autrement |year=2002 |isbn=978-2-86260-918-8}}
• {{Cite book|last=Gagnieux|first=Alain|isbn=9782860250085 |title=Une véritable petite ville au sein de Besançon : Planoise |trans-title=A true small city within Besançon: Planoise|url= |publisher=City of Besançon |year=2008}}

• {{Cite web |title=Migrations à Besançon |trans-title=Migrations in Besançon |url=http://migrations.besancon.fr |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=Migrations.Besançon.fr}}

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Category:Immigration to France

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