A new report by US thinktank the Pew Research Centre says 47% of the estimated 280 million migrants around the world are Christians, while 29% are Muslim and 13% do not identify with a specific religion. That total has grown by 83% in the last 30 years.
Christians comprise about 30% of the global population but represent almost half of the migrants in the world. Other faith groups such as Muslims and Jews are also highly represented among the migrant communities.
The Sanctuary Foundation seeks to help vulnerable people, especially refugees, by creating partnerships between government, churches and other groups. Its founder/ director Krish Kandiah spoke exclusively to Evangelicals Now about the implications and significance of this new research. He said: ‘Christians must be attentive to refugees who have had to flee across national borders. Yet [the UK thinktank] Theos has found that the largest group opposing immigration are non-attending church Anglicans.
‘This is wrong – Christians should be at the forefront of those showing compassion to the displaced. As most who now come are themselves Christians that should add an extra dimension to our welcome. And it counters another often-heard argument for refusing admission to asylum seekers – that they will somehow dilute our culture. The extreme right must think carefully about this too. Commandeering Christian language is problematic for them, because loving God means we must also love our neighbours.’
The Pew report finds that looking for a job or joining family members are among the most common reasons to migrate. But, it states: ‘Many migrants have moved to escape religious persecution or to live among people who hold similar religious beliefs.’ It says: ‘Migrants frequently go to countries where their religious identity is already prevalent: Many Muslims have moved to Saudi Arabia, while Jews have gravitated toward Israel. Christians and religiously unaffiliated migrants have the same top three destination countries: the US, Germany and Russia.’
