Due to the rise in nationalism along with the loss of economic freedoms during the 1950s, a significant portion of Egypt's Levantine community left the country immigrating to the Americas, Europe, and Australia, as well as many returning to their native Lebanon (especially Beirut) and Syria.

Muhammad Ali Pasha endorsed various ethnic and religious groups, including Syro-Lebanese, Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Italians, and Maltese to settle in Egypt.

[2][3] From the building of the Suez Canal to the creation of modern Downtown Cairo, Egypt's rulers went on a spending spree that attracted migrants from across the world.

The Syro-Lebanese, who first migrated were French-speaking and well-educated (largely due to European and American missionaries), had a mindset in the British-run economy of Egypt at the time.

As a result, they were able to flourish as an energetic and cosmopolitan community until the Nasser era of the mid-1950s, that adopted an Arabization mind set for the entire region.

Robert Solé, a French author of Levantine-Egyptian descent, describes all of these aspects of the Syro-Lebanese community in Egypt in his book, "Birds of Passage", as well as in his other publications.

[2][3] The Syro-Lebanese established Melkite Greek-Catholic and Maronite Catholic churches throughout many areas of Egypt such as Cairo, Alexandria, Mansoura, Suez, Port Said, and Tanta.

Even Rose al-Yusuf, the quintessential Egyptian cultural figure from the first half of the twentieth century, was originally Levantine of Turkish descent.

Even though the number of Levantine-Egyptians still in Egypt is drastically low today, the Syro-Lebanese community retains its strength in some aspects of the cultural and entertainment industries.

[5] The Levantine community in Egypt counted more than 100,000 members at the turn of the 20th century: civil servants, hairdressers, cobblers, drivers, engineers, dentists, doctors, shopkeepers, painters.

A minority returned to their home village but the majority remained "semi-detached", settling for several generations in Egypt without for all that involving themselves fully in the host society.

They were also renowned for their large estates, like the heirs of Comte Khalil de Saab and the Sussah family, Nagib Sursock, and the 'izba of George Daoud.

The remaining Syro-Lebanese in Egypt began integrating into the rest of Egyptian society, including extensive intermarriage with Coptic Christians and Muslims.

[9] Examples of family names of Greek Catholic Melkite Christians who faced oppression under the Nasser regime and were forced out of Egypt to then reside in Europe, Americas and Australia include: Absi, Ackaoui, Allouche, Anhoury, Arcache, Assouad, Ayrout, Ayoub, Azzam, Barakat, Behna, Bichara, Bittar, Boulad, Bahri, Cassis, Chahine, Chalhoub, Chedoudi, Dabbour, Debbané, Doummar, Dahan, Eid, Fakhoury, Gargoura, Gorra, Haddad, Hawawini, Hindeleh, Hobeika, Homsy, Jaouich, Kassab, Kahil, Kahla, Kheir, Kfouri, Klat, Karam, Lahham, Mabardi, Médawar, Michaka, Mirza, Mitri, Naggar, Naoum, Nahas, Nemeh, Nimr, Rabbath, Rathie, Sarkis, Sednaoui, Sabet, Sabbagh, Samman, Sayeh, Sakakini, Sabounghi, Solé, Toutounji, Talka, Tawil, Tagher, Tawa, Tinawi, Yansouni, Zabal, Zalka, Zayat, Zananiri, Zogheb.