Research & Advocacy
Raising awareness of the plight of persecuted Christians is part of the work of the International Christian Consulate.
We do this through our regular newsletter, carrying out research, writing articles for the media, and by contributing to reports for governments and other agencies.
Continued Persecution in Europe
There is little non-anecdotal evidence of the condition of displaced Christians across Europe and the Middle East. Many have fled severe persecution because of their faith, and then found a continuation of this persecution inside refugee camps.
As an often unrecognised persecuted minority group, they frequently go to great lengths to hide their religious identity for fear of being attacked. Governments are reluctant to act without hard evidence.
Since 2016, the International Christian Consulate has carried out extensive research into the condition of Christians, many whom have sought refuge in Europe from across the Middle East/Central Asia. Reports detailing some of the findings are published on this page.
Research Findings
Greece Reports:
Christian Refugees in Greece
A 2016 survey of the Christian minority within the overall refugee population in Greece highlighted an urgent need for action.
There has been, and continues to be, a lack of understanding of the specific threats faced by minority groups within the wider refugee population. Christians interviewed in Greece felt afraid for their lives in the camps because of their religion.
Testimonies consistently bore witness to the specific targeting of Christians and the threat to their physical safety as a result. Such testimonies included targeted attacks involving beatings with wood, cables, pipes; threats at knife-point; gang rape; daily death threats and intimidation, including threats of beheading; as well as destruction of property and slashing of tents.
Especially in the hot summer weather, conditions in overcrowded camps can deteriorate, along with the mental health of the Christian minority who are forced to live covertly among radicalised Muslims, some of whom openly claim to be Daesh, Taliban, Al-Nusra, and other extremist groups.
Between April and December 2016, ICC collected further data on the condition of Christian refugees in Athens, Greece. A second report, intended to be an update to the initial report above, can be viewed by clicking on the link below:
Update:
In recent years, conditions in Greek refugee camps have improved, particularly since the "refugee crisis" has slowed significantly. However, there remains a widespread lack of awareness that Christians even exist amongst the migrant population, which results in oversights when it comes to immigration policy and awareness of specific protection needs in reception facilities. The problem of targeted attacks, persecution, and marginalisation remains an issue in these facilities.
The Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the UK Foreign Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Support for Persecuted Christians
In 2019, an independent review commissioned by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and led by the Bishop of Truro found that Christian persecution is widespread, severe, and increasing, often reaching levels defined as genocide. It is recommended that the government make Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) central to foreign policy and implement targeted sanctions.
The International Christian Consulate contributed to this review with a report outlining findings from our own research and experience working with persecuted Christians.
These reports are available below: