On June 13th, 2024, the Head of International Relations and Diplomacy Department, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics at Tishk International University, Dr. Mohammad Salih Mustafa presented a paper on “The Drift of the Kurdish Diaspora from Supporting the Kurdistan Region: The Kurdish Community in the UK” at an international conference, organized by the Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Durham University, under the theme: Diasporas from the Middle East and Muslim World: Agency and Impact on Global Politics.

In the paper presentation, Dr. Salih explained that in the past, the Kurdish diaspora had played a significant role in promoting the Kurdish struggle and by extension, the socio-economic development of the Kurdistan Region. However, the prevailing reality points to a serious drift in the Kurdish diaspora’s involvement in the Region, with implications for its economic security, peace and development. He also stated some of the major reasons for this phenomenon, which have to do with politics of resentment, civil war, political reform demands, political opposition, age of social media, implications of the Arab Spring, online activism, diaspora’s need and the quest for integration.

He concluded with a strong recommendation that the Kurdish diaspora should participate actively in the socio-economic life of the Kurdistan Region, given the positive impact of such participation on the security, peace and development of the Region. He also recommended that all hands should be on deck, to address the underlying causes or reasons for the drift of the Kurdish diaspora, especially the UK-based one, as this would help in reviving their past active involvement in the Kurdish struggle.