Muslims in Europe: Integration Policies in Selected Countries

Publication Date: November 2005

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Culture and religion

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Abstract:

Muslims are the largest religious minority in Europe, and Islam is the fastest growing religion. Europe's Muslim population is ethnically and linguistically diverse, and Muslim immigrants in Europe hail from a variety of Middle Eastern, African, and Asian countries, as well as Turkey. Over the last few years, European countries have stepped up efforts to integrate more fully their expanding Muslim populations. Recent terrorist acts in Europe -- such as the July 2005 London bombings that were carried out by young Muslims born and/or bred in Europe -- have given further impetus to these initiatives. The widescale riots and violence that broke out in late October 2005 throughout France in reaction to the deaths of two young Muslims also highlight the alienation and discrimination that some European Muslims feel and the need for European governments to address such societal tensions.

This report examines the integration of Muslims into the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain. It also analyzes policies at the European Union (EU) level that affect Muslim populations. However, key policies relating to integrating Muslims into society -- including citizenship laws, education, treatment of religious institutions, and anti-discrimination measures -- largely lie with individual governments.

The countries discussed in this report have historically pursued somewhat different policies with respect to managing their immigrant and minority populations. However, none has been completely successful. Britain most fully embraced the notion of "multiculturalism" -- integration while maintaining identity -- but some believe that the UK has put too much emphasis on promoting diversity at the expense of building a common society. France has long adhered to a policy that encourages assimilation, but many French Muslims live in impoverished, almost exclusively Muslim neighborhoods. Until recently, Germany and Spain made few efforts to integrate their Muslim minorities, and in some cases, parallel societies developed.

None of the four countries examined in this report has a government that believes that large parts of its Muslim populations are engaged in radical or terrorist activities. However, there is a growing awareness that social deprivation, discrimination, and a sense of cultural alienation may make some European Muslims -- especially those of the second or third generation -- more vulnerable to extremist ideologies. At the EU level, there is also new momentum to encourage better integration and tackle the root causes of Islamist extremism given the EU's largely open borders and the recognition that halting or severely restricting immigration to the EU is not an option in light of Europe's aging population and declining birthrates.

This report may be updated as events warrant. For more information on European efforts to counter terrorism and combat Islamist extremists, see CRS Report RL31612, European Counterterrorist Efforts: Political Will and Diverse Responses in the First Year after September 11, by Paul Gallis; and CRS Report RS22211, Islamist Extremists in Europe, by Kristin Archick, coordinator.