Religiometer - En religionssosiologisk studie av den offentlige debatt om behandlingsprosessen av konvertitters asylsøknader

Abstract

UDI and UNE treats annually asylum applications where asylum seekers claim to have converted from Islam to Christianity. They seek asylum in Norway because leaving Islam puts their lives in danger if they get returned to their home countries. Most of such cases end with rejections and deportments because the UDI and UNE often find out that the conversion is not credible and it is only a strategic tool most converts are using for obtaining a residence permit. Christian leaders do not agree with this and they believe that converts are not getting a fair treatment process of their applications because those who treat their asylum applications do not have, in contrast to Christian leaders, knowledge about converts’ religious life and formal knowledge about religion and the Christian faith. This work is a religion sociological study of this debate and is based on qualitative data and an interpretive approach.