Hiranthi Jayaweera and Tufyal Choudhury: "Immigration, faith and cohesion"

The British Joseph Rowntree Foundation has published a new report examining what factors undermine or contribute to community cohesion in three urban areas in England with large migrant and Muslim populations. The report is based on 319 interviews with people who originated from 40 different countries, including more than 200 Muslims.

The report was authored by Hiranthi Jayaweera and Tufyal Choudhury, and is the result of research by the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) at Oxford University. Mr. Choudhury is also the project manager of the EUMAP monitoring project Muslims in EU Cities and the author of the EUMAP report Muslims in the UK: Policies for Engaged Citizens.

The Rowntree Foundation’s report found that nearly half of minority ethnic residents said they had experienced race discrimination and 30 per cent of recent Muslim migrants had experienced religious discrimination. But most migrants felt there was no conflict in having a sense of belonging to both Britain and their country of origin. Ninety-nine per cent of recent Muslim migrants strongly emphasised democracy, justice and security as the top reasons for living in Britain. Hiranthi Jayaweera said: ‘Evidence suggests that it is discrimination and the perception of being unwelcome, rather than attachment to their country of origin, that reduces migrants’ sense of belonging in Britain.’

The findings of the research challenge perceptions of Muslim women as being isolated from wider society. The report also establishes that Muslims and non-Muslims shared a common concern about the problems of crime, drugs and pollution in the areas where they lived. Both new migrants and established residents emphasised the important role played by schools, colleges and work places in bringing local people together. Nevertheless, new migrants relied primarily on established Muslim communities for the support and advice they needed on first arriving in Britain.

Download the report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation website:

Immigration, faith and cohesion: evidence from local areas with significant Muslim populations