Answer:
Those colonies offered a refuge for religious minorities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Middle Colonies are the places of present-day New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, etc. These places/ settling colonies were a good place of fertile soil, good water sources, and forested areas.
But most importantly, these settlements were famous for the religious respite that the people can get, in contrast to the religious persecution they faced in their homes in Europe. So, as a chance to live their lives away from being persecuted for their faith, the colonies became the primary and permanent settlement of the European immigrants.
Thus, the correct answer is the first option.