Iraqis in Finland (Arabic: العراقيون في فنلندا, romanized: al-ʻIrāqīyūn fī Finlandā) are people with Iraqi background residing in Finland. As of 31 December 2023, they numbered 29,266, making them the second largest immigrant group in Finland after Estonians.[1]
  | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 33,995 (0.5%) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Helsinki, Espoo, Turku, Vantaa, Tampere, Lahti | |
| 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 |
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]
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]
Helsinki is home to the largest Iraqi community, but Turku has the highest proportion.
| 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 |
Iraq
