Kurds in Finland

Kurds in Finland
Total population
	16,603 (0.3%)
Regions with significant populations
Uusimaa	8,573 (0.5%)
Southwest Finland	2,861 (0.6%)
Pirkanmaa	871 (0.2%)
Päijät-Häme	809 (0.4%)
Central Finland	487 (0.2%)
Languages
	Finnish and Kurdish
Religion
	Sunni Islam Christianity Atheism Yazidism
Related ethnic groups
	Iranian peoples

Kurds in Finland (Finnish: Suomen kurdit; Kurdish: Kurdên Fînlendayê) refers to Kurds living in Finland. In 2022 there were 16,603 Kurdish speakers in Finland.^[1]

History

Kurds started first arriving to Finland in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1995 there were 1,166 Turkish citizens in Finland, out of which around 300-550 were Kurds. A significant portion of the Turkish pizzerias and kebab-restaurants in Finland are established by Kurds, some Kurds work at the airports in Finland.^[2] While others come to Finland for studying, or work in IT companies.

Some of the Finnish Kurds originate from Turkey and Iran, but most of them have come from Kurdistan region of Iraq, where they started arriving from in the 1990s as UNHCR quota refugees. Kurds make up the majority of Iraqi immigrants to Finland.^[3] After ISIL gained ground against the Peshmerga in Iraqi Kurdistan the Finnish Kurds organized protests against ISIL.^[4] According to the chairman of Finnish-Kurdish friendship association several dozens of Finnish Kurds had left to Syria and Iraq in order to fight against ISIL.^[5]

Culture

Finnish Kurds speak several different dialects of Kurdish, the largest of which are Sorani and Kurmanji Kurdish. Kurmanji has more speakers worldwide, but Sorani is the most spoken Kurdish dialect in Finland. It is likely that there are more ethnic Kurds than there are those who speak it as a first language. For example, some of the Kurds who originate from Turkey speak Turkish rather than Kurdish. There are several different Kurdish organizations in Finland, many of which have direct or indirect connections to political parties in Iraqi Kurdistan.^[3]

Most Finnish Kurds are Muslims, some are atheists or non-practicing Muslims.

Different Kurdish organizations in Finland host their own Nowruz (Kurdish new year) celebrations.^[3]^[6]

Organizations

There are several Kurdish organizations in Finland, including Kurdiliitto^[7] and Suomalais-Kurdilainen ystävyysseura.^[8]

Political activism

In October 2019, thousands of Finnish Kurds staged a protest in Helsinki over Turkey's military operation in Syria.^[9] On 26 August 2022, Kurds living in Finland held a demonstration in Helsinki to protest the NATO agreement with Finland, Sweden and Turkey and the trilateral memorandum meeting of Finland, Sweden and Turkey.^[10] Turkey demanded that Finland end its support to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and People's Defense Units (YPG).^[11]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Persons	±% p.a.
1990	179	—
1991	294	+64.25%
1992	570	+93.88%
1993	868	+52.28%
1994	1,147	+32.14%
1995	1,381	+20.40%
1996	1,670	+20.93%
1997	2,099	+25.69%
1998	2,419	+15.25%
1999	2,860	+18.23%
2000	3,115	+8.92%

Year	Persons	±% p.a.
2001	3,477	+11.62%
2002	3,926	+12.91%
2003	4,340	+10.55%
2004	4,757	+9.61%
2005	5,123	+7.69%
2006	5,469	+6.75%
2007	5,893	+7.75%
2008	6,455	+9.54%
2009	7,135	+10.53%
2010	8,032	+12.57%
2011	8,623	+7.36%

Year	Persons	±% p.a.
2012	9,280	+7.62%
2013	10,075	+8.57%
2014	10,731	+6.51%
2015	11,271	+5.03%
2016	12,226	+8.47%
2017	13,327	+9.01%
2018	14,054	+5.46%
2019	14,803	+5.33%
2020	15,368	+3.82%
2021	15,850	+3.14%
2022	16,603	+4.75%

Source: ^[12]

Distribution

Regions of Finland	Population (2008)	% of Kurdish-speaking population	Population (2018)	% of Kurdish-speaking population
Uusimaa	3,106	48.1%	7,501	53.4%
Southwest Finland	1,312	20.3%	2,545	18.1%
Pirkanmaa	454	7%	798	5.7%
Päijät-Häme	394	6.1%	748	5.3%
Central Finland	258	4%	424	3%
North Ostrobothnia	120	1.9%	378	2.7%
Ostrobothnia	226	3.5%	311	2.2%
Kymenlaakso	122	1.9%	256	1.8%
Lapland	86	1.3%	185	1.3%
Kanta-Häme	56	0.9%	130	0.9%
North Karelia	10	0.2%	127	0.9%
South Karelia	62	1%	127	0.9%
Satakunta	24	0.4%	114	0.8%
Northern Savonia	21	0.3%	96	0.7%
Kainuu	74	1.1%	76	0.5%
South Ostrobothnia	23	0.4%	73	0.5%
Southern Savonia	16	0.2%	65	0.5%
Åland	70	1.1%	52	0.4%
Central Ostrobothnia	21	0.3%	48	0.3%
Finland	6,455		14,054

Notable people

Helly Luv, a singer and dancer
Makwan Amirkhani, a mixed martial artist
Milan Jaff [fi], a convicted criminal and gang leader
Aram Hasanzada, a footballer

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Kieli iän ja sukupuolen mukaan maakunnittain 1990 - 2017". Tilastokeskus. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
^ "Data" (PDF). jyx.jyu.fi. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
^ ^a ^b ^c Wahlbeck, Östen (2005). "Kurds in Finland". Encyclopedia of Diasporas - Volume II. Springer. pp. 1004–1010. ISBN 0306483211.
^ Hjelt, Yrjö. "Suomen kurdit osoittavat mieltään terroristijärjestö Isisiä vastaan". Yle Uutiset. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
^ Ijäs, Johannes. "Arvio: Jopa kymmeniä lähtenyt Suomesta kurditaistelijoiden riveihin". Kotimaa24. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
^ "Hyvä tietää". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014.
^ ""Suomen kurdit" – Kurdiliitto ry".
^ "Suomalais-Kurdilainen ystävyysseura ry". Archived from the original on 2019-07-20. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
^ "Today in pictures: protestors gather in Helsinki to demonstrate against Turkish offensive in Syria". Helsinki Times. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
^ "Activists in Helsinki protest Finnish government's cooperation with Erdogan regime". ANF. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
^ "NATO'ya girmek isteyen İsveç ve Finlandiya, terör örgütlerini himaye ediyor". Anadolu Ajansı. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
^ "Language according to sex by municipality, 1990-2021". Statistics Finland. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.

[Tilasto-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Kieli iän ja sukupuolen mukaan maakunnittain 1990 - 2017". Tilastokeskus. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2017.

[2] "Data" (PDF). jyx.jyu.fi. Retrieved 2019-11-22.

[EOD-3] Wahlbeck, Östen (2005). "Kurds in Finland". Encyclopedia of Diasporas - Volume II. Springer. pp. 1004–1010. ISBN 0306483211.

[4] Hjelt, Yrjö. "Suomen kurdit osoittavat mieltään terroristijärjestö Isisiä vastaan". Yle Uutiset. Retrieved 8 November 2014.

[5] Ijäs, Johannes. "Arvio: Jopa kymmeniä lähtenyt Suomesta kurditaistelijoiden riveihin". Kotimaa24. Retrieved 8 November 2014.

[6] "Hyvä tietää". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014.

[7] ""Suomen kurdit" – Kurdiliitto ry".

[8] "Suomalais-Kurdilainen ystävyysseura ry". Archived from the original on 2019-07-20. Retrieved 2019-07-20.

[9] "Today in pictures: protestors gather in Helsinki to demonstrate against Turkish offensive in Syria". Helsinki Times. Retrieved 10 October 2019.

[10] "Activists in Helsinki protest Finnish government's cooperation with Erdogan regime". ANF. Retrieved 26 August 2022.

[11] "NATO'ya girmek isteyen İsveç ve Finlandiya, terör örgütlerini himaye ediyor". Anadolu Ajansı. Retrieved 15 May 2022.

[12] "Language according to sex by municipality, 1990-2021". Statistics Finland. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.

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