Human migration has shaped cultures, economies, and societies across the globe. From ancient nomadic tribes seeking fertile land to modern refugees fleeing conflict and climate change, the movement of people has been a catalyst for change and adaptation. Recently, the Pew Research Centre released a study titled “The Religious Composition of the World’s Migrants,” authored by Stephanie Kramer and Yunping Tong, which aims to understand how global religious changes impact societies. This research study is part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures project and specifically examines the religious composition of international migrants worldwide.
Migration has seen a steady increase in recent decades, with over 280 million people, or 3.6% of the global population, living outside their country of birth as international migrants. As of 2020, Christians constitute 47% of all international migrants, making them the largest religious group among migrants. Muslims follow, accounting for 29%, while Hindus, Buddhists, and Jews make up smaller proportions, at 5%, 4%, and 1%, respectively.
The total number of international migrants has surged by 83% over the past three decades, a growth rate that outpaces the 47% increase in the global population. The Pew analysis, which focuses on the total stock of migrants rather than annual migration flows, highlights that the religious composition of international migrants has remained relatively stable since 1990.
The Pew study notes that religion and migration are closely intertwined, as many people migrate to escape religious persecution or to live among those with similar beliefs. Migration also contributes to changes in the religious landscape of destination countries, with some migrants maintaining their religious identity while others may adopt new religions or become unaffiliated. Religious groups often migrate to countries where their religion is already prevalent, such as Muslims moving to Saudi Arabia or Jews to Israel. Regardless of religion, migrants generally move from poorer or more dangerous regions to countries where they seek better opportunities and safety.
Chapter 4 of the Pew study deals with – “Muslim migrants around the world” and finds around 80 million international migrants are Muslim, making up 29% of all people living outside their country of birth, slightly higher than their 25% share of the global population in 2020. Muslim migrants tend to stay closer to their countries of origin, with an average migration distance of 1,700 miles. The Middle East-North Africa region hosts the largest share of Muslim migrants (40%), followed by the Asia-Pacific region (24%). Europe is home to 20% of Muslim migrants, while sub-Saharan Africa has 10%. North America and Latin America-Caribbean regions host smaller percentages, with 6% and less than 0.5%, respectively. The majority of Muslim migrants were born in Asia-Pacific, followed by the Middle East-North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
Coming to the destinations, the study finds that Muslim migrants primarily move to wealthy, predominantly Muslim countries. Saudi Arabia is the top destination, hosting 13% of all Muslim migrants, making it the third-most common destination for migrants overall. The United Arab Emirates follows as the second-most popular destination for Muslim migrants, with over 6 million foreign-born Muslims. Turkeyranks third, having absorbed many asylum-seekers, particularly from Syria. Other significant destinations include Germany and the United States. Muslim migrants in Saudi Arabia and the UAE most frequently originate from India.
The study also looks at the country of origin of Muslim migrants and concludes that Muslim migrants often leave their birth countries to escape poverty and danger, similar to migrants in general. Syria is the most common country of origin for Muslim migrants, with 10% of the world’s Muslim migrants (8.1 million) born there, primarily due to the ongoing war since 2011. Most Syrian migrants move to nearby countries like Turkey and Lebanon, with some reaching Europe and the U.S. India is the second-most common origin country, with 6 million Muslim migrants, who are more likely to emigrate than the Hindu majority. Most Indian Muslim migrants move to Muslim-majority countries with job opportunities, such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. Afghanistan ranks third, with 5.5 million Muslim migrants, many of whom have fled to neighbouring Iran and Pakistan due to decades of conflict.
Focusing on the data after 1990, the study finds that the global Muslim migrant population doubled from 40 million in 1990 to 80 million in 2020, growing by 102%, faster than the overall migrant population. Significant increases were seen in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Turkey, where the number of Muslim migrants rose by 16.8 million, a 278% increase. In contrast, the Muslim migrant populations in Pakistan and Iran declined by 50% and 35%, respectively, due in part to the return of Afghan migrants. Syria experienced the largest surge, with Muslim migrants increasing from 570,000 in 1990 to 8.1 million in 2020, a 1,300% rise. India and Pakistan also saw considerable increases in Muslim migrants, with numbers rising by 192% and 202%, respectively. Afghanistan saw the largest decrease, with its Muslim migrant population dropping from 7.4 million in 1990 to 5.5 million in 2020, reflecting return migration and generational changes.
The concept of hijrah, or migration, holds profound significance in Islam. In Arabic, the term hijrah refers to distancing oneself from others either physically, spiritually, or through speech. In a legal context, it means leaving places of disbelief, avoiding harmful individuals, or abandoning sinful actions and undesirable behaviours. The Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺhijrah (migration) from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE, is a momentous milestone in Islamic history and is the basis for the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
Allah says in the Quran (4:100) – “He who emigrates in the way of Allah will find in the earth enough room for refuge and plentiful resources…” Maulana Syed Abul Ala Maududi in his explanation of this verse in Tafheemul Quran says, “It should be clearly understood that a Muslim can only live under a non-Islamic system under two conditions. First, the believer must actively work to end the rule of the non-Islamic system and replace it with the Islamic way of life, just as the Prophets and their early followers did. Second, if the believer is unable to leave their homeland, they may stay but must do so with great reluctance and dissatisfaction. Some people have misunderstood the Hadith which says: ‘There is no hijrah after the Conquest of Makkah’. This Hadith is specifically related to the people of Arabia of that time and does not embody a permanent injunction. It does not mean that the duty to migrate was abolished for all Muslims, in all places, and for all times, regardless of their circumstances.”
The Prophet ﷺ teaches us that a Muslim is someone who avoids harming other Muslims with his words and actions, and an emigrant is someone who abandons everything that Allah has forbidden. The highest form of hijrah is the migration of the heart to Allah by worshiping Him sincerely in both private and public. Similarly, hijrah to the Messenger of Allah can be achieved by following his teachings and prioritizing his commands above all others