The Three Kinds of Immigrants in Europe

Those working to share Christ with Muslims living in Europe often find themselves running into the same barriers time and time again. However, depending on the length of time an immigrant has lived in Europe, the problems workers run into will vary. There are essentially three types of Muslim immigrants*:

• Brand New: These immigrants have arrived in Europe recently. They are searching for jobs, and lacking in language skills (usually). They will usually flock to neighborhoods where their own countrymen are already living to ask for help, housing or guidance. In general, veteran immigrants will lend a helping hand to these newer ones.

• Veteran Immigrants: This group of people can actually be divided into two parts. There are those immigrants who have lived in Europe a very long time, and continue to live as they did in their home neighborhood. They have usually learned the language, and they maintain close friendships with their own countrymen. Other veteran immigrants have also lived here a long time, however they have been influenced by Europe’s liberal mentality. They have adopted some European customs, while still maintaining the traditions from their home culture and religion.

• 2nd Generation Immigrants: These are the Muslims who were born and raised here. They attended German, French, Spanish and English schools. They are bi-lingual, and grew up with peers from outside of their own people group. These immigrants are usually the most European of the three groups. They are constantly dealing with living within two paradigms. Often, their parents expect them to grow up and become good Muslims, like they would have in their home country. Yet they live in a social world vastly different from their original country.
The next 3 posts will talk about the barriers each group presents to those who desire to share the Gospel with them. Keep reading to learn more about working with immigrants in Europe!

*Please note, we are aware that immigrants are quite varied from country to country. These are simple generalizations we have made to help us know how to better reach the different groups.