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Category: Recent News
The Conversation: Despite the idea that welcoming the stranger is central to many religions, the widespread support of receiving refugees is waning. Immigrant advocates, in particular religious organizations, are appealing to the Biden administration to increase the processing speed of thousands of Afghans fleeing from the Taliban.
India Today: The Indian government has announced that they will provide emergency visas to Afghanistan refugees fleeing the country from the Taliban. They plan to prioritize the evacuation of minority Sikhs and Hindus. Approximately 15,000 Afghan Sikhs live in Delhi after having fled religious persecution.
Christian Today: Christians in Afghanistan are living in great fear after the Taliban’s rapid takeover. The organization, Release International, warns of a likely increase in attacks towards anyone who identifies as Christian. A spokesperson from Release International expresses that, with advances in the Internet and women’s education, the church is better resourced and equipped to handle the challenge than before.
Washington Examiner: Religious symbols have a strong role in reducing violence and fostering harmony and social cohesion. Despite this, attacks against houses of worship, religious leaders, and objects of spiritual significance are common in conflict zones in Africa. Authors James Carr and Frederick Davie express the importance of the role of the U.S. government in working with African governments and international partners to prioritize the safety of communities of faith.
Policy Options: Religious groups have played an integral role in providing funds for settlement and supporting private refugee sponsorship. Canada’s private refugee sponsorship program is widely celebrated as a unique policy framework that allows citizens to actively participate in the process of refugee protection.
ReliefWeb: Large influxes of refugees from Muslim-majority countries have led to a significant rise in the overall number of Muslims in Germany. Recent studies report high prevalence of mental distress and illness among the refugees. Recent surveys from the German Islam Conference indicate that faith plays an important role in the social integration and inclusion of these individuals.
Religion News: The State Department is not permitting statistics about refugees admitted into the United States, including their religious affiliations, to be publicly available. There are two main reasons for the change: the development of a new information technology system, which will not be completed until December 2021, and concerns about privacy.
Vancouver Sun: A rising number of asylum seekers coming to Canada from India, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, and China are claiming to be victims of religious persecution. Many of the 60,000 migrants who entered into Canada in 2019 are claiming either political or, increasingly, religious persecution, according to an internal report by the Canadian Border Services Agency.
Sikh Channel: Afghan Sikh and Hindu refugee families arrive in Canada after the tireless work and campaigning by Manmeet Singh Bhullar. The new arrivals have been sponsored through private applications that were organized by the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation, with support from the World Sikh Organization of Canada. Sikhs and Hindus have endured increasing religious persecution, and most have been forced to flee to other countries.
Religious Refugees 