Chaldeans flying the flag of Belgium. EUROPE continued from page 30 broader community with respect for the Assyrian, Chaldean and Aramean identities. Their main activity is food distribution to the impoverished. There are other associations active in Belgium, which are separate from the existing community houses. ‘Chaldean League Belgium’ is an international overarching Chaldean organization founded on the initiative of the Chaldean Church, led by the patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphael I Sako. The head office is in Iraq and in all countries with large Chaldean communities there is a branch as part of the Chaldean League, some countries have multiple branches. Chaldeans in austria 1 Mission in Austria There are few Chaldeans in Austria with one Church Mission. Iraqi Christians, Kurds, Yazidis and others fled war ravaged Iraq crossing seven borders and the Aegean Sea to seek refuge in Europe or asylum in Austria. They travelled by boat, train, automobile and on foot navigating the Austrian and German police cordons on the bridge linking the two neighboring countries. By 2015 about 57,000 people had applied for asylum in Austria. Germany welcomed 800,000 refugees. The number of refugees arriving in these countries needing registration and protection is putting enormous pressure on European governments. As they await resolution of their own uncertain status, efforts to bridge cultures and language barriers for Arabic speakers seeking safety in Europe has been welcomed by refugees and the community in Austria and Germany. The Assyrian community in Austria began immigrating in 1974 when Assyrians mostly from southern Turkey and later from Iraq Assyrian homeland immigrated to Vienna. Here the numbers are less than 5000. Most Assyrians in Austria belong to the Syriacs Orthodox Church though a minority belong to the Assyrian Church of the East. The Patriarchal Vicar responsible for the Syriac Orthodox Community in Austria resides in the Swiss town of Arth. In 1987, the Syriac Orthodox Church was recognized as a religious community by the government of Austria. Chaldeans In The Denmark 1 Parish in Denmark Denmark has been a strong host nation to Iraqi refugees, where there are approximately 12,000 Iraqis, (are-remove) one of the largest Arab ethnic groups residing in Denmark. This is partially due to the large number of Kurds and Assyrians who have emigrated from northern Iraq. The Chaldean congregation in Denmark is composed of some 2000 Catholics primarily from Iraq and the Chaldean congregation in Aarhus is the largest in Denmark. After 1991 and degradation in security forced many Christians to flee in the 2000s, which has caused the congregation in Denmark and Aarhus to grow. As of 2010 some 400 Chaldean families resided in Denmark. Saint Nikolaj Church is a church in Aarhus, Denmark. Saint Nikolaj Church is today owned and operated by the Catholic Church in Denmark and home to the local Chaldean congregation in Aarhus. The church is 700 square meters in size and can accommodate up to 300 individuals. Sankt Nikolaj Kirke (Aarhus) Chaldean Church in the Denmark As with other Christian groups, rituals of the Sunday mass highlight and confirm the congregations’ faith and community, these rituals also serve other functions related to identification and belonging. The Sunday rituals facilitate connection with God, place, and time. Iraqi Chaldeans, Assyrians, in the Denmark Church remember the pre-migration past and ‘homeland’. Chaldeans In The Netherland 1 Parish in Holland There are over 50,000 Iraqis in the Netherlands, including immigrants from Iraq and locally born people of Iraqi heritage. Some sources claim an estimation of 60,000 people of Iraqi descent are living in the Netherlands. The Iraqi community in the Netherlands is the 4th largest and has the highest percentage of qualified and professional people and artistes who have integrated well and (have-remove) become useful members of the Dutch society. The first wave of immigrants was in 1992, the data confirm duo this phenomenon, which rose gradually to reach a peak in 1998. The Iraqi community in the Netherlands has increased from 8,000 in 1995 to approximately 40,000 in 2002. Apart from this group, there is an unknown number of Iraqis illegally staying in the Netherlands. The main motives of the Iraqi migration are political asylum seeking, resulting previous conditions in Iraq regarding the nature of the former regime, and the circumstances of successive wars and the economic embargo which was imposed on Iraq. Initially in the 1970s few Chaldeans and Assyrians came to the Netherlands. Today their number is estimated to be between 25,000 and 35,000. (and-remove) They mainly live in the eastside of the country, in the province of Overijssel, in such cities as Enschede, Hengelo, Almelo and Borne. Largely Assyrians are concentrated there because the eastside is an industrial area which lies at the Germany-Netherlands border, where a large German Assyrian population resides. Many Assyrians in the Netherlands have relatives in Germany. The latest group to migrate to the Netherlands are from Iraq, and they have been arriving there since the first Gulf War. Chaldeans In Switzerland The population of Iraqis in Switzerland is estimated to be around 5,000. However, the Swiss government is closing doors to future Iraqi refugees, offering to instead send external aid. Chaldeans in Switzerland came mostly as refugees from the towns of Midyat, Mardin and Beth-Zabady (Idil) in TurAbdin, most of them are Syriac Orthodox (about 1,600 Families). The seat of the Syriac Orthodox Bishop of the Swiss and Austrian diocese is in the St. Avgin (Eugene) Monastery in Arth, near Lucerne, where part of the Chaldean community lives. They also live on the eastside of the country in the Canton of St. Gallen (Wil-Area) and in Baden about 20 km from Zurich. A large number of the Chaldeans in Switzerland also live in the Italian Part of Switzerland in Canton of Ticio, mostly in Lugano and Locarno. Asylum seekers from Iraq say, “Iraq is finished”. While others like deacon Slewa Kalka, at St. John’s Church, take a more positive view, saying, “Iraq will be a free land, but we don’t know when.” “It was very beautiful, we had a very good life in Iraq, but wars destroyed it all,” his wife Jamila said, “We pray every day for peace in Iraq”. Special thanks to Mrs. Jacqueline Raxter for help with editing. 32 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>FEBRUARY</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
Distributed by: Value Wholesale Distributors, MI / Ph: +1 248-967-2900 STRONG TAKES A LEAP OF FAITH Become #MarianStrong Academic excellence, exceptional athletics, empowering environment, and more tuition assistance opportunities than ever before. Find your strength at Marian. Schedule your family’s personal tour today! Call (248)502-3033. marian-hs.org <strong>FEBRUARY</strong> <strong>2021</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 33
Change language