Kurds in Switzerland

Kurds in Switzerland
Total population
200,000 – 250,000[1]
Languages
German, French, Italian ,Kurdish
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups
Kurdish diaspora

Kurds in Switzerland are residents in Switzerland of full or partial Kurds origin. The Kurds in Switzerland mainly reside in the Cantons of Zurich, Aargau and Basel-Stadt and are descendants of migrants of refugees from the regions around Pazarcık, Kahraranmaraş or Erzincan. There are also shia kurdish migrants from Iranian Kurdistan, the region around Ilam and Kermanshah along with Feyli Kurds from Baghdad who mainly reside Geneva and Zürich.[2][3]

Population

In 2012 the Swiss authorities estimated that about 110,000[4] and in 2015, that ca. 150,000 Kurdish speakers were living in Switzerland.[5] Its centre is the region around Basel, where in 2010 it was assumed that 100,000 Kurds reside.[2]

Political representation

Basel

There are several politicians of Kurdish origin in Switzerland. From Canton Basel-Stadt, two members of the National Council, (the lower chamber of the Swiss Parliament), Mustafa Atici from the Social Democratic Party (SP)[6] and Sibel Arslan from the party Basta! are of Kurdish origin.[7] In the Grand Council of Basel-Stadt five members are of Kurdish origin.[8] Bülent Pekerman presides over the Grand Council since February 2023.[9] During the Turkish invasion of Afrin, Syria the Grand Council of Basel-Stadt issued a resolution in strong terms, demanding the diplomatic intervention by Switzerland who is the depository of the Geneva Convention and the host of the European seat of the United Nations.[10]

Berne

Hasim Sancar is a member of the Grand Council of Berne.[11][12]

Political activism

If the Kurds rights are violated like during the suppression by the Turkish authorities of the hunger strikes in Turkish prisons in December 2000[13] or the Turkish invasion into North East Syria in 2019[14] there are often organized manifestations in support of the Kurds.[15][16]

In January 2026, thousands of Kurds in Switzerland demonstrated against the Syrian transitional government’s offensive targeting Kurdish-controlled regions in northeastern Syria.[17]

Organizations

Dem-Kurd

Dem-Kurd is an organization that provides with an education in Kurdish cultural heritage[18] which in their country of origin they are often not able to access.[2] Dem Kurd is organized into several commissions concerning to media, language, music and women.[18]

Kurdish Red Crescent

The Swiss branch the Kurdish Red Crescent has its seat in Lausanne, at the shores of Lake Geneva.[19]

The movie Journey of Hope by Xavier Koller has portrayed the flight of a Kurdish family into Switzerland[20] and was awarded an Oscar in 1991.[21] Notable Swiss of Kurdish decent includes former professional footballer Eren Derdiyok, professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer Volkan Oezdemir and Swiss businessman and politician Mustafa Atici.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ "Explore the Kurdish Diaspora Map and History".
  2. ^ a b c Haab, Katharina (2010). "Diaspora und Migrantengemeinschaften aus der Türkei in der Schweiz" (PDF). Bundesamt für Migration, Schweizer Eidgenossenschaft. p. 120. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  3. ^ "The Kurdish Diaspora". Institutkurde.org. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Population résidante permanente de 15 ans et plus, ayant comme langue principale: kurde, en 2012" (PDF). Statistics of Switzerland. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  5. ^ "Les langues principales les plus fréquentes de la population résidente permanente âgée de 15 ans ou plus, 2015" (PDF). Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Nationalratswahlen - Basel setzt im Nationalrat auf kurdische Wurzeln". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 21 October 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Türkisch-kurdische Wurzeln - Wahlkampf in der türkischen Buchhandlung". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 23 September 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Basel'de Kürdistanlı adayların zaferi". YeniOzgurPolitika.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Medienmitteilungen". Grosser Rat des Kantons Basel-Stadt (in German). Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Resolution zu Afrin/Syrien: Der Grosse Rat fordert vom Bundesrat Einsatz für das humanitäre Völkerrecht". www.medien.bs.ch (in German). Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Schweiz - Neue alte Sorgen: Kurden-Konflikt in den Strassen Berns". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 14 September 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  12. ^ "Detailansicht Mitglied (Mitglieder) Grosser Rat - Kanton Bern". www.gr.be.ch. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Kurden-Proteste". SWI swissinfo.ch (in German). Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  14. ^ Keystone-SDA/ug, swissinfo ch with. "Public protests continue in Swiss cities against Turkey". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  15. ^ Müller, Annika. "Ein Blick in die kurdische Diaspora in Zürich". Tsüri.ch #MirSindTsüri (in German). Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  16. ^ Keystone-SDA/jc. "Thousands in Zurich protest Turkey's Syria offensive". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  17. ^ "Thousands protest in Zurich for Kurds in Syria". SWI swissinfo. 25 January 2026.
  18. ^ a b "Dem-Kurd - Centre communautaire démocratique des Kurdes en Suisse". solidaritéS (in French). Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Heyva Sor a Kurdistanê Swîsre |" (in German). Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  20. ^ "Journey of Hope (Reise der Hoffnung) (Switzerland / Turkey / UK, 1990) | UC Berkeley Library". www.lib.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  21. ^ "The 63rd Academy Awards | 1991". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
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