Lebanese people, who come from various religious and
ethnic groups, form a distinct community in
Belgium as part of the global
Lebanese diaspora. It was estimated in 2006 that there were 8,000 Belgians who identified as Lebanese in terms of origin or descent. More recent estimates put their numbers at only 3,500.[1][2] The majority are
Belgian citizens and live in major cities such as
Brussels and
Antwerp. In addition, it was reported the same year that 1,200 were living in
Lebanon.[3] They sometimes refer to themselves as Belgo-Libanais in
French or Belgisch-Libanees in
Dutch.[1]
Although small in contrast to the much larger
Moroccan and
Turkish communities, the different ethnic and religious groups from within Lebanon are represented in Belgium. This includes a significant
Maronite Christian community which traces its origin to traders who settled in Belgium during the 19th century. Some Maronites are involved in the trade of
diamonds in the
Antwerp diamond district.[4] Restaurants serving
Lebanese cuisine exist in numerous Belgian towns and cities.[5] A small Lebanese community existed in the
Belgian Congo before its independence in 1960.[6]
The
Arab European League was founded by
Dyab Abou Jahjah, Lebanese-Belgian activist, as a
Pan-Arabist political group in Belgium which is a vocal exponent of
Palestinian nationalism. It was criticised for participating in violent racist and
antisemitic demonstrations in Antwerp in 2002.[7] The
2006 Lebanon War was reported to have brought different ethnic and religious denominations within the community together. Around 20 Lebanese-Belgian men are believed to have travelled to Lebanon through
Libya in 2006 to fight against Israel.[1][2]Mohammad Bazzi, a Belgian-Lebanese, has been accused of being a "key financier" of
Hezbollah.[8]
The Belgian-Lebanese community held small demonstrations in Brussels in sympathy with the
2019–2020 Lebanese protests in November 2019.[9] It also organised humanitarian aid to be sent to
Beirut in the aftermath of the
2020 Beirut explosion.[10]
Belgium (
Brussels and
Antwerp)
Lebanon
Lebanon portal
