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.
Tag: syria
The Conversation: Locals within host countries are not the only source of intolerance and prejudice against religious refugees. There is also conflict among refugees of different religious groups. While some have suggested separating people by religion in refugee centres, researcher Kat Eghdamian believes that proactively counteracting prejudice can be achieved by allowing groups to mix and share their experiences.
CTV News: Profiles of Syrian refugees are presented to Canada by the United Nations, and the government’s decision on who will settle may be based on criteria such as religion. Although information on religious affiliation is not available, critics are concerned that the distribution could be different than the reported percentages of 74% Sunni Muslim, 13% other Muslim groups, 10% Christian, and 3% Druze among the Syrian population. Selection of refugees is ideally based on need, although for private sponsors responsible for 60% of the refugees coming to Canada, it is up to the church or group do decide who to sponsor.
CBC News: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation News reported that the government is considering prioritizing religious minorities from Syria when deciding which refugee claims to approve. Such a policy would leave Sunni Muslims, who compose the majority of the Syrian population, without any chance of resettlement to Canada, despite the clearly high risks they face as a result of the conflict.
Religious Refugees 