Diaspora politics and Germany’s Kurdish question

Abstract

The political sway of diaspora groups has increased over the last few decades due to the rise of a new pattern of conflict, the rapid increase of the number of war refugees and the heightened speed of communication and mobility (Demmers 2002: 86). A number of other factors have also played a role, such as the new policies pursued by host countries in terms of integrating immigrants by encouraging multiculturalism rather than through assimilation, or the home states’ own interest in creating expatriate communities abroad (Safran 1991, Østergaard-Nielsen 2003). These changes paved the way for the diaspora groups to become one of the most influential non-state actors in the global arena and through their efforts; conflicts in today’s world are no longer confined to within the homeland’s borders as they diffuse to the diasporic space.