top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon

France compensates SNCF deportees

Rail operator sent 76,000 to concentration camps - and non-French survivors will now be entitled to payout

France has agreed to pay almost €50 million in compensation to non-French Holocaust survivors who were deported to Nazi concentration camps by the SNCF during the Second World War.

The state rail operator was responsible for transporting 76,000 Jews to concentration camps, of whom about 3,000 survived.

The compensation fund agreement, which is due to be signed in Washington on Monday, will be financed by the French government and managed by the United States.

France has already paid billions in reparations to French victims of the Holocaust. This latest deal applies not just to Americans but all other non-French who were taken out of France between 1942 and 1944 - or their spouses or descendants.

In 2010, the SNCF publicly expressed regret for the role the rail operator played, but insisted it had no control over its operations during the Nazi occupation.

The French rail group has been trying to win contracts in the US for several years and had faced pressure to compensate Holocaust survivors before it could proceed any further.

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Income Tax in France 2023 (for 2022 income)*
Featured Help Guide
- Primarily aimed at Britons, covers pensions, rent, ISAs, shares, savings and interest - but also contains significant general information pertinent to readers of other nationalities - Overview of online declarations + step-by-step guide to the French printed forms - Includes updates given automatically after this year's site opened
Get news, views and information from France