THE STREAM/ Jacob Rusenstrand-
Recently an Iranian convert to Christianity was denied asylum in the United Kingdom. He had claimed that Christianity was a much more peaceful religion than Islam. In the eyes of the British Home Office, which handles immigration, Christianity is anything but “peaceful.” In their decision, the government department quoted Bible verses to argue against him.
A parliamentary report criticized the British Home Office in 2016 for asking asylum seekers unfair questions on theology. Despite a promise to better equip their staff, not much has changed in the way the department handles asylum claims by converts to Christianity.
Genuine Believers
The British case isn’t the only example of anti-Christian bias in Europe. Many asylum seekers have found salvation in Jesus Christ as they’ve encountered the love of Christians. But migration agencies have acted as secular inquisitors, particularly in Sweden, which is perhaps the most secular country in the world. There, Christian asylum seekers regularly receive pop quizzes on theology in order to determine whether they are genuine believers. Continue reading…
