Арапи у Србији العرب في صربيا | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 17,000 (est.) [1] 1,769 Libyans (2014) [2] 500 Palestinians (2011) [3] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Belgrade | |
| Languages | |
| Arabic, Serbian | |
| Religion | |
| Islam and Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Arab diaspora |
Arabs in Serbia are mostly expatriates from a range of Arab countries, particularly Libya, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, and Jordan; and also small groups from Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Sudan. Lebanese and Syrian citizens were the first Arabs to arrive in modern Serbia. In the 1970s and 1980s, many students from Iraq and Syria were enrolled at the University of Belgrade. More recently, as a result of the Arab Spring and the Syrian Civil War, large numbers of Arabs transited Serbia as refugees, trying to immigrate to Western Europe.
There is a small community of Libyans in Serbia, mainly residing in Belgrade. There has been a Libyan School in Belgrade since 1997, which was expanded in 2012 to cater to the Lybian ethnic community. [4]
Most of the Iraqis in Serbia are educated people, and they view Serbia as a "friendly and brotherly" country. [5]
In 2023, 36,360 Syrians were registered in Serbia, transiting on their way to Western Europe, with only a small fraction remaining or applying for asylum in Serbia. [6]
Community members adhere to Islam (see also Islam in Serbia) and Eastern Christianity.