Europe’s Muslim population to grow strongly, even if migration ends

Muslims could make up over 11 percent of Europe’s population in the coming decades, compared with just under 5 percent currently, if legal migration levels are maintained, a report by a US-based think tank said Thursday.


The Pew Research Center, in a study entitled “Europe’s Growing Muslim Population” issued three projections based on different migration scenarios – zero arrivals, “medium” flows and “high” migration.

It showed that even if all migration into Europe stopped immediately, the Muslim population of the 28-member European Union plus Norway and Switzerland would rise to 7.4 percent from 4.9 percent in 2016.
Europe received more than one million migrants and refugees in 2015, according to figures from the UN’s refugee agency.

Most arrived from Muslim-majority nations and some rightwing political parties have upped their anti-Muslim rhetoric in their wake.
 [alarabiya.net/AFP]
 30/11/17