Religious conflicts are a source of exclusion, violence, and persecution. Time and again, they drive people into exile. Religious divisions and state oppression make it impossible to practice one’s faith, forcing people to resettle — often the only option left is to flee into the unknown.

The partition of British India in 1947 led to the largest migration in history: The division into the Muslim-majority states of Pakistan and Bangladesh and the predominantly Hindu India forced 14 to 18 million Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs to resettle. The partition continues to fuel tensions to this day; most recently, the conflict over Kashmir threatened to escalate again. In India, violence against Muslims has occurred repeatedly: In 1992, Hindu activists destroyed a 16th-century mosque in Ayodhya, the birthplace of the Hindu god Rama, and replaced it with a temple that was inaugurated in 2024.