Immigrants do not only bring new customs, foods or languages in the country they settle in, they also bring along their belief systems and religious worldviews. As a matter of fact, the migratory flux of the last decades has “profoundly altered the faith map of the UK”, according to a report entitled ‘Faith, Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion‘ published in January 2010 by left-of-the-center think tank Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
In this situation, it is Islam that has been propelled under the spotlights and typecast as both the religion most migrants bring along as they move to the UK and a potential threat for the national security in the wake of the 9/11 and 7/7 terror attacks. Wary that what he see as Islamic values may contradict principles of democracy in the UK, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, said in an interview with the BBC in January 2010 that priority should be given to immigrants respectful of said values. Coincidentally, such immigrants, according to him, are more likely to come from countries that are traditionally Christian.
He also advocated restricting the number of immigrants. If not, he predicted “deep trouble, this is going to foster social unrest” and the rise of far-right movements. Lord Carey, who also admits fearing the UK becoming less and less of a Christian country, is not the only one having this type of discourse. Islam is indeed the religion immigration critics are the most vocal about.
In reality, things are actually different. There is indeed, in overall 2.4 millions Muslims in the UK, British nationals and foreign-born combined. In addition, “migration has caused an increase in the proportions of the population affiliated to non-Christian faiths,” according to the IPPR report. Yet, the same report assesses that out of the 4.5 million of the UK’s foreign-born residents who claim a religious affiliation, 1.1 millions of them, so approximately 25%, are Muslims but more than a half of immigrants are actually Christian.
Among them, Catholics from EU countries such as Poland (600,000 Poles now live in the UK), Slovakia and Lithuania and African Pentecostals are the fastest-growing denominations. “In Lewisham, there are 65 Pentecostal churches serving the Nigerian community, and others serving the Congolese, Ghanaian and Ivorian communities,” says the report. It adds, “perhaps the most significant change has been the growth of Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity within migrant populations, particularly those from Africa and Latin America.” So can we put rest to the fear that waves of Muslim immigrants are invading Britain.
This trend of increasing Christian migrants has not gone unnoticed by close observers. Dr Joe Aldred, secretary of the Minority Ethnic Christian Affairs section of the Churches Together in England (CTE) tweeted on @joealdred : “At national Church Planting Consultation. Didn’t know so much going on planting new churches. Christianity making a come back in Britain?”
Churches trade care for the more destitute of immigrants. It is still true today, with for instance in the Islington Borough of London, the St Mary Magdalene Centre for Refugees and Asylum Seekers. There are even ecumenical efforts on the topic, such as the London Churches Refugee Fund, launched by a score of different Christian churches in London.
Immigration also revives entire religious communities that had fallen apart because of time and secularization. They are now trying to reach out for the white working-class people of the area and invite them to attend religious services. In a recent report on the topic, The Guardian quotes Tade Agbesanwa, pastor of a Black-majority church in London’s east-end, who says “this church is for everybody.” It is as if Great Britain had welcomed them and now they want to welcome the Brits in their community.
By: Thomas Seymat
