Last Wednesday, the event “Biji Nemsa – Long Live Austria” was held at the Palais Niederösterreich in Vienna to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Austria’s acceptance of Kurdish refugees from Iraq.

Following the collapse of the Kurdish movement in Iraq in 1975, thousands of politically active Kurds were forced to flee to neighboring Iran. Austria’s Federal Government subsequently agreed to accept 96 Kurdish refugees, including students and young families. The first group landed at Vienna International Airport on March 31, 1976, marking a key starting point for the development of the Kurdish diaspora in Austria.

Safeen Dizayee, Head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations, participated in the event during his official visit to Austria, which took place between May 5 and May 7 and included meetings with Austrian parliament members, media, and officials.

The KRG office in Austria said that representatives from politics, diplomacy, and the Kurdish community in Austria participated in the anniversary event. 

Speakers included Heinz Fischer, former Federal President of the Republic of Austria; Hisham Aal-Alawi, the new Iraqi Ambassador to Austria; and Mustafa Ramazan, representative of the KRG in Austria.

The KRG said that a central part of the program was dedicated to personal recollections from Austria’s Kurdish diaspora. Obaid Afandi and Fatima Khanakah shared their experiences in a panel discussion. Their contributions highlighted the importance of Austria’s rapid support for the refugees. It enabled many to continue their education, learn the language, and build a new life in Austrian society.

The program also included archival footage from 1976, an excerpt from the 2016 film “Biji Nemsa” (2016), live Kurdish music, and a thank-you ceremony with Fischer and Ramazan. The ceremony expressed the Kurdish community’s gratitude for Austria’s humanitarian support and its lasting impact on the lives of the Kurdish families who were taken in.