Iraqis in Finland

Iraqis in Finland are immigrants from Iraq residing in Finland. They numbered 32,778 in 2017,[1] making them the fourth largest immigrant group in Finland behind Russians, Estonians and Swedes. They are also the fastest growing immigrant group.

Iraqis in Finland
Total population
~32,000
Regions with significant populations
Helsinki, Espoo, Turku, Vantaa, Tampere
Languages
Finnish and Iraqi Arabic
also Kurdish (Sorani and Kurmanji dialects), Turkish (Iraqi Turkmen/Turkoman dialects), and Neo-Aramaic (Chaldean, Ashuri, and Mandaic)
Religion
Islam (Shia and Sunni)
Related ethnic groups
Swedish Iraqis, Iraqis in Denmark, Iraqis in Norway

Migration

Most Iraqis in Finland have come as refugees. Of the 32,000 people who sought asylum in Finland in 2015, 21,000 were Iraqis, or two-thirds of all asylum seekers.[2]

Asylum based on clan feuds

Iraq is a clan-based society like many in the Middle East. Many Iraqis claim asylum in Finland on the basis that they are threatened by rival clans in their home country, but the refugee conventions state that asylum is granted on the basis of being persecuted by authorities of a country. Persecution by other civilians is primarily a concern of police in the country of origin. This creates contradictions because officials in Iraqi police authorities might themselves be members of a rival clan.[3]

Distribution

Helsinki is home to the largest Iraqi community, but Turku has the highest proportion.

Iraqis by Municipality in 2018[4]
No. Municipality Iraqis %
1. Helsinki 5,936 0.92
2. Espoo 3,181 1.12
3. Turku 2,771 1.45
4. Vantaa 2,460 1.08
5. Tampere 1,642 0.70
6. Lahti 909 0.76
7. Oulu 681 0.33
8. Vaasa 382 0.57
9. Hämeenlinna 357 0.53
10. Jyväskylä 281 0.20

Crime

Rape

In 2017, 12% of all rapes committed in Finland were done by Iraqis. In total Iraqis committed 199 sexual assaults.[5]

Honor crime
See also: Honor killings § Finland

The first case of an honor killing in Finland happened in 2015, when an Iraqi man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for planning to murder his 16-year-old sister. He was also sentenced for assault. He and their mother had forbidden his sister from meeting people her own age and leaving the home beyond going to school.[6]

In 2019, a 48-year-old Iraqi attempted to murder his 40-year-old ex-wife because she associated with other men. The stabbing was done at an educational institution where both were studying. When she turned around, he stabbed her in the back. She was seriously wounded but survived. According to the accused, he was ridiculed by his friends because. The couple had arrived in Finland in 2015 and divorced shortly after arriving.[7]

References
  1. "United Nations Population Division - Department of Economic and Social Affairs". United Nations. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  2. "Analyysi: Miksi 21 000 irakilaista haki turvapaikkaa juuri Suomesta? Tässä 6 syytä". Yle Uutiset.
  3. "Clash of clans i verkliga livet - hur är det att leva i ett klansamhälle?". svenska.yle.fi (in Swedish). Retrieved 2019-11-29.
  4. "PX-Web - Valitse muuttuja ja arvot". pxnet2.stat.fi. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  5. "IL selvitti: Irakilaisten osuus peräti 12 prosenttia Suomessa vuonna 2017 tehdyistä raiskauksista". www.iltalehti.fi.
  6. "HS: Man dömd för planerat "hedersmord"". svenska.yle.fi (in Swedish). Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  7. "VBL: Österbottens tingsrätt behandlar mordförsök som motiverades av mannens heder". www.hbl.fi (in Swedish). Retrieved 2019-01-19.
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