Muslim migrants in Europe have been largely successful in learning the language of their adoptive countries and finding jobs despite a fifth of the local population being opposed to their presence, according to a study published Thursday.
The Bertelsmann Foundation study looked at the Muslim populations of five countries — the U.K., Austria, Germany, Switzerland and France — and found that 76 percent of second-generation Muslims learned the local European language as their mother tongue.
Educational figures varied. While 90 percent of French Muslims stay in school until the age of 17, only 36 and 39 percent do the same in Germany and Austria.
Germany leads the way in labor integration, where the proportion of Muslims in the labor force is at parity with the general population. The study cited France’s “tight labor market” as why the unemployment rate for Muslims is at 14 percent, far higher than the 8 percent average for non-Muslims.
The study also found that devout Muslims are likely to be less well-educated, less likely to be employed and earn less than other Muslims. The inequality may be down to discrimination — the study also found that 20 percent of non-Muslims do not want to live next to a Muslim — but it may also be due to devout Muslims’ jobs conflicting with their religious duties, such as fasting or praying five times a day. [POLITICO] Read more
