Asylum seekers convert to Christianity after rejection

Parliament Geir Toskedal (Christian Democrats).Photo: Vidar Ruud / NTB scanpix

Figures and estimates from (UNE) show that the vast majority of asylum seekers who say they have converted to Christianity after receiving their application rejection, reported the newspaper Dagen.

– When it comes to Afghans who have indicated conversion to Christianity through the years, the vast majority indicated that following the rejection from UDI or in connection with a final rejection by the UNE, says communications manager Bjørn Lyster of Immigration Appeals.

He estimates that the agency has dealt with between 30 and 40 conversion cases with applicants from Afghanistan in 2016. A majority of these have only stated that they are converts having been rejected. The same trend is evident for cases from Iran and Iraq, where the Tribunal has dealt with respectively 70 and 20 cases.

Parliament Geir Toskedal (Christian Democrats), which has long struggled converts for the sake of immigration, says it is a “challenge” that asylum seekers claim to have converted to Christianity after rejection.

– There is every reason to question whether the conversion is real if you first disclose it at the second attempt at immigration, he said.

Earlier this year Toskedal while out with immigration minister Sylvi Listhaug said that all who enter the Christian faith as the reason that they can not travel to the country they are citizens of will meet at UNE, the appellate court in asylum cases, to explain their case.

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today

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