British Kurds
| British Kurds
|
|---|
| Total population |
|
Up to 80,000[1] |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Dewsbury, London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool |
| Languages |
| Arabic and Persian commonly spoken as well. |
| Religion |
| Majority Sunni Muslim, with Shia Muslim minority. Some Christians. |
| Related ethnic groups |
| Kurdish people, Iranian People |
British Kurds may refer to people born in or residing in the United Kingdom who are of Kurdish origin.
Contents |
Population and settlement
Kurds came to Britain in large numbers 20 years ago, mostly from Iraq and Turkey, where they fled the suppression of their language and culture. But a small minority came from Iran too.[2] Marking Newroz, or new year, is not just a calendar date but a political act, because until recently Kurdish Newroz was forbidden in Turkey. Estimates vary about the number of Kurds in the UK between 30,000 and 80,000.[3] There have been some tensions in Dewsbury, a town with an unusually large Kurdish population, with the Pakistan community.[4] The population increased with the arrival of Iraqi Kurds in the late 1990's. There are now large communities in London, Manchester, Hull and Derby to name just four towns. Many people are now UK citizens (lots who arrived from Iraq claiming asylum in the late 1990's). A large number of lucky people came under the" Rashid case" a couple of years ago. Sadly there are many, from Iraq, who have been in the country for several years and still have no "decision" or Indefinite Leave to remain in The UK (ILR).They still have to endure registering on a monthly basis. Even now the talk of deportations is less, there is always that fear for these people, who are now settled; many with families.
See also
References
External links
- London Kurdish Film Festival
- Kurdish Human Rights Project
- Re-assessing what we collect - Kurdish London
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