This paper will discuss the relationship between religion, immigrants and integration
as follows: First, it shortly defines integration. Second, it will look at
the process of immigrant settlement to a new host society and discuss the specific
role of religion in it. This section will also discuss some of the relevant
previous findings on religion and immigrant settlement. Third, the article will
conclude with a discussion on the ways in which a clearer understanding of the
process of integration may shed new light on the ongoing debates of immigrant
religious activity in the West. The paper will not address to any large extent issues
related to globalisation, the role of media and the experiences of different
generations of immigrants. These aspects will be included in a subsequent extension
of this paper.