20th century departures of foreign nationals from Egypt

The 20th century departures of foreign nationals from Egypt refers to the departure of foreign residents, primarily from European and Levantine communities. These communities consisting of British, French, Greeks, Italians, Armenians, Maltese and Jews of Egyptian descent had been established in Egypt since the 19th century. This group of foreign nationals became known as the "Egyptianized", or the Mutamassirun.^[1] The foreign resident population in Egypt numbered around 200,000 by the end of World War 1.^[1] This movement of foreign nationals leaving Egypt was precipitated by various factors such as political instability, the Suez Crisis, the abolition of the capitulations system, and the rise of Egyptian nationalism under Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1956, Egyptian Minister of Interior Zakaria Mohieddin stated that of Egypt’s 18,000 British and French citizens, 12,000 have been ordered to be expelled, with their properties seized by the Egyptian government. ^[2]