Immigration behind ‘boom’ in exorcism

 An “astonishing” rise in harmful Christian exorcisms is being driven partly by migrant communities, a report by Theos, a think tank focusing on religion, has warned.

The report, which examines the relationship between Christianity and mental health, said: “Exorcisms are now a booming industry in the UK, with a number of interviewees noting the astonishing increase in demand.”

It said that this industry was in part “driven by immigrant communities and pentecostal churches which are very open about their exorcism services”.

Interviewees, including mental health chaplains, said that “in the vast majority of cases, the person in question was suffering with mental health issues which required psychiatric assistance”.