Religious minorities in Syria
Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, we at Gave have received disturbing signals from asylum seekers’ centers that Syrian Christians are being intimidated and threatened more than ever by groups of their fellow countrymen. There is also significant unrest among Syrian Christians in the centers about threats to family members in Syria itself. At the same time, we note that the government seems to assume that Christians in Syria do not have to fear serious persecution. It is striking that both the European Parliament and the Dutch Parliament pay much more attention to the precarious situation of Christians and other religious minorities. The most recent Open Doors report is very clear: Christians in Syria are being persecuted.
Last update: 24th april 2026
Security situation in Syria
The Dutch country report on Syria from January 2026 is a slight improvement compared to the previous report from May 2025. However, the vulnerable position of Christians and other religious minorities in post-Assad Syria is still being downplayed. Although there are three pages of examples of incidents, the report simultaneously states that “generally, there is peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in Syria” (pp. 99-100).
Moreover, Open Doors’ most recent country dossier shows that the situation for Christians in Syria has seriously deteriorated since the HTS government took office. Syria now ranks 6th in the ranking of Christian persecution, down from 18th in the previous reporting period. Open Doors also interprets the situation of Christians in Syria very differently from the Dutch country report.
The Dutch government seems to be divided about the situation of Christians in Syria. On the one hand parliament adopted a motion which said that the situation of Christians in Syria has deterioted dramatically since HTS took over. On the other hand, the minister for migration hasn’t adapted the status of Christians in official migration policy in the letter he sent to parliament op April 22.
Position Dutch government
The Dutch governement published a new Country Report Syria in January 2026. Compared to the previous report (May 2025), there are slight improvements in the presentation of the situation of Christians in Syria. The May 2025 report still strongly emphasized the transitional government’s promise of an inclusive political transition (pp. 89-90). The new report notes that the transitional government is struggling to gain control of the country. The Country Report also acknowledges that this is not beyond the control of the Syrian government:
“The message sent by President Al-Sharaa with his emphasis on the rights and freedoms of the various population groups did not prevent other expressions from coming from individuals with extremist views. These individuals were found both within the transitional government’s rank and file and outside it, such as within ISIS.” (p. 92)
Generally, the report acknowledges a significant lack of stability, and Syria is designated as one of the ‘least peaceful countries in the world’ (p. 27).
However, these conclusions are not extended to the situation of Christians in Syria. Although the report provides a more balanced account of the violent incidents against Christians, the tone is still generally downplaying.
In section 3.1.1.4 on the position of Christians in Syria, the Country Report states in broad terms:
“During the reporting period, churches were open and Christians could hold their services… During holidays and in the event of a threat of attack, security forces guarded church buildings and Christian neighborhoods. According to a source, there was generally peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in Syria.” (pp. 99-100)
That last sentence, in particular, rings hollow in the light of what follows in the report: A three-page list of incidents of violence against Christians that is said to be non-exhaustive (pp. 101-103). These include: Salafist preachers in Damascus, prepared attacks on churches, a Christian man who was assaulted by security forces and forced to convert to Islam, threats against churches and Christians, kidnappings, an arson attack on a Christian family, etc. It is difficult to see how this reconciles with the statement that Muslims and Christians live peacefully together in Syria. A possible explanation for this discrepancy is, that the general statements about the safety of Christians are based on sources from one specific region (see footnote 945 of the report: apart from the anonymous sources, only the Idlib region is referred to). Perhaps, without explicitly stating so, the Country Report still strongly assumes a decisive Syrian government that is committed to the protection of minorities. The transitional government seems reasonably willing, which is good news in itself. Unfortunately, it remains questionable to what extent they are and will be able to fulfill these intentions.
This can be illustrated using one of the largest attacks mentioned above: the attack on the Mar Elias Church in Damascus. On June 22, 2025, an attack was carried out on this Greek Orthodox church, killing 20 to 30 people and injuring another 54. The attack was claimed by an extremist Islamic group that called it a ‘punishment for the provocation of Christians against the people of the faith’ (Syria releases findings on 2025 Damascus church bombing). This attack is only mentioned in passing in the Country Report (p. 99) and seems to be dismissed as a single large-scale attack on a church in the past year among minor incidents. In the light of the long list of incidents, however, it is not difficult to categorize this among signs of increasing tensions in Syrian society. The issue is not that it is a mere single major incident, the issue is that the transitional government fails in the adequate protection of the Christian minority in their country, and that it would hardly surprise us if such an incident would happen again.
A recent attack on the Christian village Suqaylabiyah strengthened the protests that the government is either unwilling or unable to protect the Christian minority in Syria.
Contrary to this Dutch policy, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on July 10, 2025, “on the urgent need to protect religious minorities in Syria following the recent terrorist attack on the Mar Elias Church in Damascus.” The European Parliament points to the vulnerability of Christian communities in Syria and the ongoing threats to believers who receive insufficient protection from the government. In addition, on April 1st the Dutch parliament adopted a motion which said the situation of Syrian Christians had deteriorated dramatically since HTS took over.
Regardless of that, on April 22nd the Dutch minister for migration sent a letter to parliament on the official guidelines for Syria, in which he did not adapt standing policy on the danger-levels for Syrian Christians.
Open Doors
Open Doors’ latest country report offers a different perspective. Syria has risen from The most recent Open Doors Country Dossier 2026 presents a very different perspective. Last year Syria rose from position 18 to 6 on the World Watch List of Christian persecution. This dramatic change is primarily attributed to the increased violence against Christians. Open Doors notes that the situation has deteriorated severely since March 2025. Christians suffer disproportionately from the widespread violence in Syria. Their vulnerability stems partly from a lack of political and military power, but also from being increasingly perceived as ‘Western’ and being associated with the former Assad regime, making them vulnerable to targeted violence and discrimination. The new government reforms education according to Islamic ideology in a way that fosters hostility against Christians and Jews also. Christians face increasing social pressure, particularly regarding dress codes and other religious norms. (p. 2)
The level of persecution varies by region, but all Christians in Syria experience some form of violence. Open Doors reports that Christians were relatively safe in the northeastern regions that are under Kurdish rule (p. 3), but it is well known from the public media that the Kurdish SDF lost their control in the region in January 2026. Throughout the country, religious leaders are threatened, and churches face intimidation and attacks. (p. 3) Two key examples are the attack on a church in Damascus in which 22 Christians were killed (attributed by the authorities to ISIS), and an attack on a Christian cemetery in Hama in December 2024, where all Christian symbols were destroyed (p. 6).
These incidents have generated such fear in the Christian community, that many churches have chosen either to close or to reduce the frequency of worship. Many Christians no longer dare to attend church, hide Christian symbols, and avoid public displays of their faith (Open Doors, WWL 2026 Compilation, January 2026, p. 7). Furthermore, women – particularly those belonging to religious minorities, including Christians – continue to face risks of abduction, sexual violence and forced marriage, sometimes in combination (p. 5).
The accumulation of all this violence, even if considered unsystematic, combined with increasing social pressure and a government that is incapable of protecting minorities, leads Open Doors to the conclusion that “Overall, the Christian minority now faces a serious level of persecution, insecurity, and the erosion of civil and religious freedoms, marking one of the most challenging periods in modern Syrian history.” (p. 3)
This most recent report, then, leaves no doubt as to whether Christians are being persecuted in Syria.
Discussion
The most striking statement is in the January Country Report that churches were open as usual and that there was peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians. These sentences draw a picture that is very different from the rest of the report and from the other reports and statements we have seen. There is indeed evidence of regular and structural violence against Christians in Syria.
Consequently Christian communities report a general sense of uncertainty and insecurity regarding their religious freedoms, safety, and opportunities to express their faith publicly.
It is, therefore, not surprising that Open Doors reports that Christians feel compelled to withdraw their faith from the public sphere and to be cautious with inherently public religious practices such as worship. While not unexpected, this development is deeply concerning.
On 5 September 2012 (ECLI:EU:C:2012:518), the EU Court of Justice ruled that a person who has applied for asylum because religion, cannot be expected, upon return, to abstain from religious practices in order to avoid persecution. Syrian Christians cannot be expected to return to Syria if they are unable to attend church or are otherwise restricted in practicing their faith. The reports by the EUAA and Open Doors of such restrictions are, therefore, of great importance for the assessment of asylum applications submitted by Christians from Syria.