--- title: Christians Increasingly Treated as Unwanted Foreigners in Their Own Countries url: https://www.faithfulnews.com/en/christians-increasingly-treated-as-unwanted-foreigners-in-their-own-countries published: 2026-10-30T14:49:12+00:00 language: en section: Persecution source: https://www.kn.nl/verdieping/analyse/kerk-in-nood-christenen-steeds-vaker-ongewenste-vreemdelingen-in-eigen-land/ organizations: Aid to the Church in Need publisher: FaithfulNews --- # Christians Increasingly Treated as Unwanted Foreigners in Their Own Countries Christians are increasingly treated as outsiders in their own countries, according to a report by Aid to the Church in Need. The organization concludes that the situation for Christians has not improved anywhere over the last two years, with victims facing violence, discrimination, and forced departure. The report, titled Persecuted and Forgotten?, examined eighteen countries between August 2024 and June 2026. It identifies a pattern where Christians are viewed as foreign elements. In Iran, evangelical Christians are linked to foreign intelligence services, while in Mali, pastors are accused of spying for the West. North Korea labels Protestants as collaborators of imperialist forces, and in China, faith must align with Communist Party principles. Similar mechanisms exist in non communist or non Islamic regimes. In India, Hindu nationalist groups view minority growth as a threat to the Hindu population, and Islamic groups in Pakistan do the same. The report notes that while many in the West believe most Christians live in wealthy nations, the majority actually reside in the poorer south, often for generations. Oppression often occurs through laws, permits, and lawsuits rather than direct violence. In China, Priest Ma Xianshi was sentenced to eighteen months in prison in June 2026 for selling hymn books, despite the government having issued a permit for them. Additionally, since September 2025, Chinese believers cannot post religious content online without a permit. In Nicaragua, at least 261 Catholic clergy have been expelled from the country. Bishop Carlos Enrique Herrera was deported after criticizing a mayor in a sermon. In four dioceses where bishops live in exile, ordinations are forbidden. In Egypt, conflicts are often settled through customary law reconciliation meetings. One Christian family was fined one million Egyptian pounds, forcing them to sell their home and leave their village. Violence is rarely caused by a single factor, often involving ethnicity, poverty, politics, and land disputes. In the Sahel, extremists exploit these tensions. The report argues the West often ignores the religious aspect of such violence, citing Nigeria as an example where conflict in the Middle Belt is dismissed as a dispute between farmers and herders, though Bishop Wilfred Anagbe describes it as a systematic cleansing of Christians. Religious presence is at risk in several regions. In Syria, the number of Christians has dropped by more than 80 percent since 2011. In Iraq, their share of the population fell from 0.46 to approximately 0.3 percent. In Mosul, fewer than 50 of the 1,200 original Christian families returned after the IS occupation. In Nigeria, at least one million Christians are internally displaced. ## This story in other languages - [Português (Brasil)](https://www.faithfulnews.com/pt-br/cristaos-sao-cada-vez-mais-tratados-como-estrangeiros-indesejados-em-seus-proprios-paises) - [Español](https://www.faithfulnews.com/es/los-cristianos-son-tratados-cada-vez-mas-como-extranjeros-indeseables-en-sus-propios-paises) - [Français](https://www.faithfulnews.com/fr/les-chretiens-sont-de-plus-en-plus-consideres-comme-des-etrangers-indesirables-dans-leur-propre-pays) - [Svenska](https://www.faithfulnews.com/sv/kristna-behandlas-allt-oftare-som-oonskade-framlingar-i-sina-egna-lander) - [Norsk](https://www.faithfulnews.com/no/kristne-blir-i-okende-grad-behandlet-som-uonskede-fremmede-i-egne-land) - [Polski](https://www.faithfulnews.com/pl/chrzescijanie-coraz-czesciej-traktowani-jak-niepozadani-obcoknawocy-we-wlasnych-krajach) - [Türkçe](https://www.faithfulnews.com/tr/kerk-in-nood-raporu-hristiyanlar-kendi-ulkelerinde-giderek-daha-fazla-istenmeyen-yabancilar-olarak-goruluyor) - [Русский](https://www.faithfulnews.com/ru/xristiane-vse-cashhe-stanoviatsia-nezelatelnymi-inostrancami-v-sobstvennyx-stranax) - [עברית](https://www.faithfulnews.com/he/story-219)