Kurdish Australians refers to Australians of Kurdish origin or descent. Approximately 7,000 people in Australia claim to be of Kurdish ancestry.
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History
In Australia, Kurdish migrants first arrived in the second half of the 1960s, mainly from Turkey. In the late 1970s families from Syria and Lebanon were also present in Australia. Since the second half of the 1980s, the majority of Kurds arriving in Australia have been from Iraq and Iran; many of them were accepted under the Humanitarian Programme. However, Kurds from Lebanon, Armenia and Georgia have also migrated to Australia.
Distribution
The majority live in Melbourne and Sydney. In Sydney, they are mainly found in the suburbs of Auburn, Lakemba, Lidcombe, Bankstown, Punchbowl and the surrounds, which are suburbs in the LGA areas of Cumberland Council and Canterbury-Bankstown Council.