interracial marriage in France

During World War 1, there were 135,000 soldiers from British India a large number of soldiers from French North African and 20,000 cleaners from South African who served in France. Alot of the French male population had gone to war leaving behind a overrun of French females many of whom shaped interracial relationships with non white soldiers,mainly Indian and North African. British and French authorities allowed foreign Muslim soldiers to intermarry with local French females on the basis of Islamic law which allows marriage between Muslim males and Christian females. On the other hand Hindu soldiers in France were limited from intermarriage on the basis of the Indian caste system.

According to France's 1999 Census, 38% and 34% of male and female married immigrants respectively are intermarried. The highest intermarriate rate was for European immigrants mainly Spanish and Italian nearly 50% of whom have had intermarriages. 30% of North African immigrants and 20% of Portuguese immigrants have also had intermarriages. The lowest intermarriage rate was for Turkish immigrants, with 14% for married males and 4% for married females.