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Paris ranked as one of worst cities for foreign residents – again

Yet another survey has pointed to Paris as one of the worst cities for expats to live in, but is it really so bad?

Published: 3 December 2021 10:47 CET
Paris ranked as one of worst cities for foreign residents - again
Is Paris really so horrible? Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP

A survey of more than 12,000 people living abroad has cast Paris as a terrible place to live. The respondents came from 174 different countries. 

The Expat City Ranking 2021 placed the French capital 51st out of 57 cities. Only Rome, Milan, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Tokyo and Istanbul ranked lower. 

Respondents described Parisians as the unfriendliest locals towards foreign residents worldwide. 53 percent said it was hard to make friends in the city – against the 32 percent global average. 

READ ALSO The 10 best things about Paris that movies never show

59 percent said it was difficult to find housing while 77 percent said it was difficult to afford. One in five said they do not feel safe in Paris – more than twice the global average. 

When people considering a move to the French capital ask for recommendations or advice on moving to Paris in Facebook groups, the comments often reflect the antipathy felt towards the city by those living in it.

One of the most commented posts in a British and Irish expat forum contains the phrase: “I find that people just get extra annoyed at the smallest of things here.” 

The French capital routinely ranks bottom or close to the bottom of expat rankings. And to be fair, most French people from outside of Paris say it is a dirty, snooty and unfriendly place where life moves too fast and everyone is stressed. 

But it can’t be that bad. 

Of the 136,000 Brits and 27,000 Americans (US) living in France, the largest proportion reside in Ile-de-France. This suggests that Paris must have some redeeming features. 

The areas where the city does well on Expat City Ranking 2021 are job security, affordable healthcare and leisure opportunities. 

Do you agree that Paris is terrible or do you love your life here? Share your views in the survey below.

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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