Open Doors: Germany refuses to acknowledge abuse of Christians in Muslim-dominated refugee camps

Christians in Muslim-dominated camps in Germany are being abused, but authorities continue to turn a blind eye on the situation, persecution charity Open Doors International says.

After Germany welcomed 1.1 million refugees last year, there have been several reports about Christians in the Muslim-dominated refugee camps being abused both physically and psychologically. Some have been denied food, and the religious tension in the camps has led to violent incidents, according to Christianity Today.

Out of the 1.1 million refugees who entered Germany, 476,000 have already been officially granted asylum. However, local papers have reported incidents of rape, robberies, and beatings in the refugee centers, the Catholic Herald relays.

In a recent interview with Catholic News Service, Open Doors spokesperson Rachel Marsuk said reports about abuse that Christians in the refugee camps are going through have reached them. Marsuk said there have been cover ups in some cities, and other incidents have been played down.

"Politicians at [the] local and national level here have done nothing to help and don't want to hear about these cases," said Marsuk. "They don't see how religious differences have fuelled tensions and led to persecution."

The situation has prompted Open Doors to work on a report in a bid to spur German authorities to do something about the problem. Marsuk said the Church must act as a voice for the Christian refugees who are afraid to speak out.

Berlin archdiocese spokesman Stefan Forner echoed Marsuk's sentiment and said administrators of the refugee camps are just ignoring the persecution of Christians. He explained that it is important for authorities to understand the danger of putting all the refugees in the same place.

"Some people don't even want to talk about Christians, fearing Muslims may have a problem with this," Forner added.

In light of the reported abuses, Open Doors has urged German authorities to provide better protection for the Christian refugees staying in Muslim-dominated refugee camps. Some Christian communities have volunteered to provide facilities for Christian refugees, but authorities still refuse to segregate them according to religious and ethnic groups.