Faith and Mental Health Help Shape the Integration of Muslim Refugees in Germany
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By Diana Rayes
Large influxes of asylum seekers and other migrants to Europe from Muslim-majority countries have inevitably led to a significant rise in the number of Muslims in Germany, who in 2016 made up nearly 6 percent of Germany’s population. Even with no future net migration, Muslims will likely represent 9 percent of the country’s population by 2050, the Pew Research Center estimates. The rapid scale of arrival of nearly 1 million asylum seekers from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan—all Muslim-majority countries—to Germany in recent years has significantly affected the sociopolitical landscape, partly leading to a growing populist and nationalist backlash with groups advancing anti-immigration agendas. This has also reduced religious tolerance towards the growing Muslim community in Germany, particularly in eastern parts of the country where fewer Muslims live and where about 57 percent of the population perceive Islam as a threat; it also continues to have significant national implications for promoting social cohesion and integration of recently arrived refugees.