Almost half world’s migrants ‘Christian’

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.