20th century departures of foreign nationals from Egypt

The 20th century departures of foreign nationals from Egypt primarily concerned 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. These foreign nationals became known as the "Egyptianized", or the Mutamassirun. The foreign resident population in Egypt numbered around 200,000 by the end of World War 1. This departure of foreign nationals was precipitated by political instability, the Suez Crisis, the abolition of the capitulations system, and the rise of Egyptian nationalism under Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1956, the Egyptian Minister of Interior Zakaria Mohieddin said that of Egypt's 18,000 British and French citizens, 12,000 were ordered expelled, their properties seized by the Egyptian government.