Christian migrants have been subjected to discrimination, harassment and violence from Muslim migrants with extremist views in various locations across Europe, it was reported in February.
The situation in the camp of Grande-Synthe in northern France, where Iranian converts have been targeted by migrants from Iraq, has raised great concerns among local churches, which are now supporting migrants by supplying them with food, clothing and, in some cases, even shelter.
Two stabbed
‘Between November and December, there was a group of Iranians who confessed their belonging to Christ and started to attend our church. Some were Orthodox, while others said they were Christians but were not truly converted. But we got to know them, and we felt they had a real spiritual thirst’, said Philippe Dugard, pastor of Église Evangélique du Littoral (EEDL), Saint-Pol-sur-Mer, which has spearheaded the relief effort in Grande-Synthe.
‘And then one evening [14 December], we were informed that two of them were stabbed and the whereabouts of a third one was unknown.
‘We then said that as Christians we cannot leave them alone in that situation, and the victims themselves told us that they no longer wanted to stay in the camp, as they felt threatened.’
Beginning of support
The incident marked the beginning of EEDL’s support for migrant victims of persecution. For the next few days, the victims were put up in hotels, before being moved to a church in Dunkirk, the closest city to the camp. One of the victims from the initial group remains, a 29year-old. He said there are still some Christians in the camp, but many are too scared to speak about their faith. He added that a mosque has been created in the camp, but there is no church.
Located in the northwest of France, beside the English Channel, the camp of Grande-Synthe hosts around 2,500–3,000 migrants, mostly Kurds from Iraq and Syria, but also some Iranians.
Ethnic tensions
Ethnic differences have created tension in the camp between the Iraqis and Iranians, of whom there are only around 50. The thousands of Iraqi Kurds are mostly Muslim, while some of the Iranian minority are Christians.
Some of them attend local churches secretly because they are scared of the Muslim migrants or of smugglers who hold sway within the camp. Night raids, theft and violence are among the common threats.
Gangs of smugglers
On the night of 14 December, a knife attack left several Christians injured. One of them, a 19-year-old named Mohammad, was murdered. On 26 January, a shooting between rival gangs of smugglers erupted, prompting a huge police deployment around the camp.
There are some who fear that members of the so-called Islamic State may be among the migrants, intent on radicalising other migrants and imposing shari’a inside the camp.
Two months after the attacks against the Iranian migrants the tension has settled, according to Dugard. The majority of the victims of the December attacks have moved on. Some managed to reach England, their preferred destination, while others, tired of waiting or because of a lack of financial resources, returned to Iran.
