Immigration to Besançon refers to the settlement of individuals in the city who were not born in Besançon or its surrounding region, historically known as Franche-Comté (including the County of Burgundy, and ancient Sequania). In contemporary usage, the term generally applies to individuals who are not French nationals and who originate from countries outside of France. Historically, the earliest populations to settle in the area were the Sequani, a Gallic tribe, followed by Roman conquerors who incorporated the region into the Roman Empire. However, the first identifiable migratory community in the modern sense was the Jewish population, which established a presence in Besançon during the Middle Ages and remained there until the 19th century.
During the Renaissance, the city experienced a significant influx of Italian migrants, contributing to its cultural and architectural development. From the 18th century onward, Swiss immigrants also settled in the region, playing a key role in the establishment and growth of the local watchmaking industry. From the 1870s, soldiers from France’s colonial empire—primarily from North Africa and parts of Asia—were brought to the country to serve in the military. After World War I, and especially during the 1920s and 1930s, migration from Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Eastern Europe increased in response to labor shortages in industry. This trend continued after World War II, with significant migration from the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, and Italy persisting until the 1980s, particularly to meet demand in the construction and housing sectors.
More recent waves of immigration have included individuals from Eastern Europe—especially the Balkans and former Yugoslavia—as well as from Sub-Saharan Africa and, to a lesser extent, Southeast Asia. Over time, the settlement of diverse populations has contributed to the city’s multicultural character. These migratory movements have introduced a range of cultural and religious traditions, the most longstanding of which is Judaism, followed in more recent times by Islam and Buddhism.
History
The history of immigration to Besançon spans several centuries and, in a broader sense, even millennia, when accounting for the various invasions and population movements that have shaped the region. Immigration to the city has primarily occurred for two main reasons: socio-economic hardship (such as the search for employment or improved living conditions) and political instability (including war and persecution) in migrants’ countries of origin. A smaller but notable proportion of arrivals consisted of foreign soldiers stationed in the city between 1870 and 1945, many of whom eventually settled there.
Vesontio: Gaulish and Roman city Throughout its history, Besançon has been ruled by a number of different peoples and empires. Although these occupations were primarily invasions rather than migrations in the modern sense, the presence of non-native groups significantly influenced the city’s demographic evolution, cultural identity, and architectural heritage.
In the 2nd century BCE, the site of modern-day Besançon—then an oppidum—was inhabited by the Sequani, a Gallic tribe that controlled a vast territory extending between the Rhône, Saône, Jura, and Vosges rivers. Archaeological excavations have revealed public infrastructure dating from this period, including remnants uncovered in 2001 during preventive excavations near the former city ramparts. The city was encircled by a murus gallicus, a type of Gallic defensive wall, remnants of which were also discovered at the site. Known in Latin as Vesontio, the city was an economic center of Sequania and a strategic target for various groups, including the Germani and the Aedui prior to its conquest by Julius Caesar in 58 BC. The Battle of Vesontio marked the city's incorporation into the Roman Empire, establishing early contact with the Italian peninsula. One of the earliest written records of Vesontio appears in Caesar’s Commentarii de Bello Gallico, where the city is mentioned. Under Roman rule, the city flourished, as demonstrated by surviving monuments such as the Porte Noire, the aqueduct of Besançon-Arcier, which passes through the Porte Taillée and ends at Square Castan, and the remains of the amphitheater.
Jewish settlement
The first identifiable migratory community to settle in Besançon in a non-military context was the Jewish population. The city’s geographical position between Germany and Italy made it an important center of trade, attracting many Jewish merchants who frequently passed through. The presence of a Jewish community is confirmed by a letter sent in 1245 by Pope Innocent IV to the Archbishop of Besançon, instructing him to enforce the wearing of the rouelle, a badge identifying Jews. In the 14th century, the municipal authorities of Besançon granted Jews permission to reside in the city in exchange for a droit d’entrage (entry fee) and an annual cens (tax). By 1393, records indicate the presence of twelve Jewish families, who maintained a school under the leadership of Joseph de Trèves. In 1394, a local citizen was fined 60 sous for assaulting a Jewish man who was guarding the town, indicating that some members of the community held roles in local defense or civic functions. During the mid-14th century, some Jews fled to Besançon from other parts of France to escape persecution following the widespread antisemitic belief in the so-called "lepers' plot", a conspiracy theory alleging that Jews had conspired with lepers and the Muslim kingdom of Granada to poison water wells. That same year, King Charles VI of France expelled Jews from the royal domains, and Duke Philip the Bold (Philippe le Hardi) enacted similar measures in the Duchy of Burgundy. However, Besançon, as a Free Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire, was not subject to these decrees. As a result, it became a refuge for Jews expelled from neighboring territories, contributing to the growth of the local Jewish population.
Italian Renaissance and Swiss arrivals
Relations between Besançon and the Italian Peninsula resumed in the 16th century, during the Renaissance, a period of significant cultural and economic influence in transalpine territories. The presence of Genoese merchants in the city is attested from 1535, following their expulsion from Lyon and Chambéry. These merchants established a trade fair in Besançon, attracting moneychangers and other traders for a period of time. However, the city eventually proved economically unviable and difficult to access, leading to a gradual decline in Italian presence. A notable architectural legacy of this era is the Palais Granvelle, considered a Renaissance masterpiece.
Beginning in the 16th century, Protestantism appeared in the city, likely introduced by immigrants from Switzerland and the Principality of Montbéliard. While initially met with hostility, Protestant communities gradually gained acceptance due in part to the contributions of Swiss Calvinists watchmakers, who helped establish the watchmaking industry in Franche-Comté. Protestant worship spaces were progressively granted, including the Refuge Chapel, the former Capuchin Chapel (later known as the Chamars Temple), and eventually the Church of the Holy Spirit. In 1793, Laurent Mégevand (1754–1814) of Geneva, accompanied by around 80 colleagues, settled in Besançon and formally founded its watchmaking industry. This initiative brought 22 additional watchmaking families to the city, numbering between 400 and 700 individuals. By the end of the First French Empire, there were approximately 1,500 Swiss nationals in Besançon, 500 of whom were exclusively employed in watchmaking. Over time, this workforce was increasingly replaced by local labor.
From the 1850s to World War I From the 1850s onward, Besançon experienced its first significant wave of mass immigration, largely driven by economic growth and industrial development. Initially dominated by Swiss immigrants, the foreign population soon included a growing number of Italians, who by the late 19th century had become the city's largest foreign community. The 1846 census reported that the majority of foreigners in the city were of Italian, German, or Swiss origin (particularly from Neuchâtel), with generally neutral or mildly strained relations with the local population. Historical records, such as Claude Fohlen's Histoire de Besançon, reference the employment of Piedmontese laborers in major construction projects, including the 1850 development of a canal to supply water from the Arcier springs. The 1851 census recorded approximately 300 residents from Savoy and 96 Italians in the city (335 in the department). The Italian community, primarily from Piedmont, Lombardy, and, to a lesser extent, Liguria, was largely composed of young, male, working-class migrants who frequently moved for seasonal labor. Meanwhile, Italian merchants, street vendors, and artists, typical of earlier migratory trends, continued to settle in the city.
Notable Italian residents included Gaétan Migon, a restaurateur whose establishment was visited by Honoré de Balzac in 1833; Roncaglio, an organist at Saint-Pierre Church and later Saint-Jean Cathedral (1780–1864); and the painter Jean-Baptiste Franceschi (1795–1881) along with his sculptor sons. In 1872, Besançon hosted its first foreign consulate—an Italian consulate—followed by a Swiss consulate in 1874. Only the latter remains operational. By the time of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and the Paris Commune, the city had a diverse foreign population including Italians, Swiss, Austro-Germans, a few Russians, and religious figures from the Near East. The 1876 census recorded 166 Italians in the city, primarily employed in construction and public works; this number exceeded 200 by 1888, with the majority residing in the Battant district, particularly on Petit Charmont, Grand Charmont, and Richebourg streets.
Following the defeat of the Second French Empire in 1871, France began preparations for military revanche in the 1890s, relying increasingly on manpower from its colonial empire. Soldiers from North Africa and Indochina were conscripted and stationed across Franche-Comté, including Besançon. The participation of Muslim soldiers during World War I is commemorated in the Saint-Claude Cemetery, which contains a Muslim section with approximately 20 oriental stelae in memory of fallen colonial soldiers. While colonial presence in the city before World War II was relatively limited, it became more pronounced during the conflict, when indigenous colonial armies were actively deployed in the region.
Tensions between French and Italian workers surfaced in the 1890s, mirroring broader national sentiments. In March 1890, labor disputes broke out during the construction of a paper mill in the Prés-de-Vaux area. The local newspaper Le Petit Comtois reported the next day that Italians were no longer being hired, a decision welcomed by French workers. Nonetheless, Besançon began to lose its economic appeal. A 1889 survey showed that foreign workers increasingly preferred industrial hubs such as Pontarlier, Morteau, Montbéliard, and the Territoire de Belfort. According to the 1896 census, the number of Italians in Besançon had slightly declined, though it remained above 200. Department-wide, there were 1,663 Italians. In 1911, this number rose to 2,467 Italians and 7,843 Swiss in the department, but the onset of World War I in 1914 made life more precarious for foreign residents.