6. Italy
Percentage of entrants to France in 2012: 4%
While immigration between the two countries has been a continuous process from medieval times, proper migration from Italy to France began after World War I. The war decimated the French population which was extremely short on workforce and hence, encouraged Italians to move to the country, who obliged. Initially, only Italians from Northern Italy moved to France, but after World War II, Italians from the South also began moving to France. That’s why Italy ranked 6th on our list of countries that send most immigrants to France.
