2.4.5. Christians

Before the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Christian communities constituted approximately 10 % of the country’s population.419 The civil war led to widespread displacement and emigration among Christian communities, many of whom moved to Lebanon or the Western countries,420 particularly to Europe.421 There is no official data on the current number of Christians remaining in Syria,422 with some estimates suggesting a decline to 2 %423 or approximately 300 000.424

Syrian Christian denominations comprise several churches, such as Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Armenian Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Syrian Catholic, Maronite, Protestant, Nestorian, Latin, and Chaldean.425 Prior to the war, Greek Orthodox Christians and Greek Catholics predominantly resided in and around Damascus as well as in Latakia and its coastal region. Syrian Orthodox Christians were primarily located in the Jazira region, Homs, Aleppo, and Damascus, while Syrian Catholics had small communities, particularly in Aleppo, Hasaka, and Damascus. Armenian Christians of various denominations were largely residing in Aleppo, with some communities found in Damascus and the Jazira region.426

After the fall of the Assad government, Christian communities expressed concerns about religious freedom, safety, and the ability to practice their faith openly.427 Additional concerns have been linked to limited inclusion in shaping the new constitution and potential restrictions on societal freedoms, such as interim government’s428 move to close bars in Damascus429 in March 2025, which was reversed within a week. In the new government, Hind Kabawat, Christian and a woman, was appointed as minister of social affairs and labour.430

In December 2024, several incidents involving attacks on Christian symbols were reported.431 The new government condemned these attacks and attributed them to ‘unknown individuals.’432 There were no reported incidents of violence during the 2025 Easter celebrations.433 In Damascus, the government forces reportedly provided security for the festivities.434 However, as noted by the head of a community committee at the Armenian church to The New York Times, it was unclear whether Christians throughout Syria experienced the same level of freedom to celebrate Easter as those in Damascus, where the new government’s support for Easter celebrations might have been aimed at projecting an image of tolerance to journalists and visitors.435

At the end of March 2025, the Syrian Observer reported on increased religious proselytisation in public spaces, often referred to as ‘calls to Islam’. They included posters and street preaching promoting modest dress and broadcasting of religious messages with loudspeakers. Vehicles promoting Islam reportedly toured Christian-majority neighbourhoods of Damascus like Bab Touma, Bab Sharqi, Qassa, and Dweila. Responding to a Christian cleric’s complaint, authorities condemned the actions as ‘unofficial’ and ‘individual’, claiming arrests were made and encouraging further reports – though another car was seen again in Dweilaa some days later.436

In interviews to media outlets, various Christian figures highlighted a sense of uncertainty and fear.437 In March 2025, Syrian Orthodox theologian Assad Elias Kattan noted to Deutsche Welle fears of Islamisation and described the political transition as chaotic and the security situation outside Damascus as ‘not always stable.’438 The same month, writer and researcher Roger Asfar told the Syrian Observer that the threat to the Christian presence in Syria was increasing under the new government, as Christians faced ‘diminishing freedoms and growing religious and societal pressure’, with no signs of improvement in their situation.439 As noted by the head of the Armenian church’s executive committee in an interview with the New York Times, many Armenians were considering leaving Syria due to fear about the future.440 Similarly, in May 2025, a Catholic priest in Aleppo noted to Vatican News that Christians remained cautious and wished to ensure that the right of every community 'to live in dignity' would be respected.’441