The 10 countries where Christmas is banned as Christians are forced into hiding

While thousands of Brits will attend church services across the country on Christmas Day, millions of Christians will be forced to celebrate secretly.

Globally, 365 million Christians face persecution or discrimination just for practising their faith – that’s one in seven of the world’s population, according to Open Doors, which has been supporting persecuted Christians for over 60 years.

Henrietta Blyth, Chief Executive of Open Doors UK and Ireland, told Express.co.uk that a lot of people dismiss the idea of Christians being persecuted, as they are associated with somehow being “the powerful ones”.

She cautioned: “However, that isn’t the case for the Christians who are working as bonded labourers in the brick kilns of Pakistan. Or the millions of Christians who have been driven from their homes by Islamist radicals in sub-Saharan Africa.

“And it’s certainly not the case for those who have been cast into North Korea’s infamous prison camps merely for owning a Bible or worshipping.”

Ms Blyth said: “It’s a statistic that should shock us. And the number is rising as so much of the world becomes more authoritarian and less tolerant.

“Religious persecution, whatever faith is being persecuted, should matter to all of us. It’s the ‘canary in the coal mine’ of human rights. If Christians are being mistreated because of their faith you can be sure the persecution of others will follow, as sure as night follows day.”

Ms Blyth explained that religious freedom is foundational for many other human rights, and for that reason, we need to take every opportunity to promote and protect Freedom of Religion or Belief. She concluded: “It is a hugely precious commodity and a very fragile one.”

Each year, Open Doors publishes a global “watch list” listing the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. The next World Watch List will be released on January 15.

Here, Express.co.uk looks at the top 10 countries on the Open Doors list where Christians can be imprisoned, deported to labour camps and even killed just for practising their faith.

North Korea

There are some 400,000 Christians in North Korea’s 26 million-strong population, according to Open Doors. Many are held in labour camps and prisons because of their faith.

Believers in ‘s country face a life of hard labour or are even killed on the spot if they are discovered. Family members can suffer the same fate.

Worship is “extremely dangerous”, has to be done in “utmost secrecy” and at “grave risk”, according to Open Doors.

An “anti-reactionary thought law” which came into force in December 2020 makes being a Christian or owning a Bible a serious crime.

Tens of thousands of Christians are believed to be in labour camps across North Korea, with Christian women “acutely vulnerable” to sexual violence.

Somalia

It is hard to know how many Christians live in Somalia because they are forced to live in “extreme secrecy”. Open Doors reports estimates of only a few hundred.

Most Christians in the East African country are Muslim converts, making them “high-value” targets for al-Shabaab militants. The Islamist insurgent group wants to eradicate Christians from Somalia.

Believers could be killed on the spot if caught as leaving Islam in Somali society is viewed by many as a “betrayal of culture and clan”, according to Open Doors.

Many Christians have reportedly fled for their lives, with dangers worsening as militants hunt down the faith’s leaders.

Christian women can be kept under house arrest or forced to marry a Muslim man, while men suspected of converting to Christianity could be pressurised into leading prayers at mosques or marrying more than one woman.

Libya

Estimates suggest there are about 35,100 Christians in Libya, making up 0.5% of the North African country’s 7.1 million people.

Converts from Islam face intense and violent pressure from their families and communities, risking house arrest, attack, abduction, sexual violence and murder, according to Open Doors.

The organisation observes: “It is incredibly dangerous for converts to meet to worship, and church life is almost non-existent.”

Lawlessness in Libya means Christians can “easily” be targets of violence and death. Christian refugees from sub-Saharan Africa can be kidnapped, trafficked and targeted by extremists when they try to pass through Libya to get to Europe.

Open Doors says it is clear there is no safe part of the country for any Christian believer, with Libya moving up two place on its World Watch List in 2024.

Eritrea

Almost half of Eritrea’s 3.7 million population (1.7 million) are Christians. However, only three Christian denominations are recognised in the northeast African country: Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Lutheran.

Open Doors says believers from other denominations are “at constant risk”, with raids rounding up “unsanctioned” followers of the Christian faith and church leaders targeted.

Estimates reported by the religious rights organisation suggest 1,000 Christians in Eritrea are behind bars without being charged with a crime.

Some of those have been jailed for over 10 years in “shocking” conditions, including solitary confinement.

Anyone who converts from Islam or joins another denomination “is likely” to come under intense pressure from their family, community and government.

Yemen

Only a small number of people are Christian in Yemen, with the exact number unknown as worshippers have to practise in great secrecy.

State and Islamic law mean it is forbidden to convert to Christianity, with “severe” repercussions for converting, such as forced divorce, losing custody of children, arrest and so-called “honour” killings.

The civil war in Yemen has also made matters worse for the country’s Christians, according to Open Doors.

Aid is limited and is “mostly” distributed by Muslim groups and mosques, some of which are alleged to have discriminated against anyone who isn’t considered a devout Muslim.

Nigeria

There are nearly 103 million Christians in Nigeria, with a higher proportion in the south. Northern Nigeria is majority Muslim with a much lower number of Christians.

Open Doors says this is traditionally where most persecution of Christians has happened – but it continues to spread further south.

Armed bandits and militants from groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State in West African Province continue to terrorise Christians, especially in the north, with “brutal” attacks, abductions, sexual violence and death.

The Watch List notes: “Believers are stripped of their livelihoods and driven from their homes, leaving a trail of grief and trauma.”

Research by Open Doors suggests more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria annually than anywhere else in the world combined.

Pakistan

Many Christians in Pakistan face a hostile environment, underscored by a “devastating” attack on a Christian community in Jaranwala in August last year.

Twenty churches and almost 100 homes were attacked after two Christians were accused of desecrating the Koran.

According to Open Doors, Pakistan’s “notorious” blasphemy laws are frequently used to target minorities, with Christians “disproportionately” affected.

Believers can be forcefully converted to Islam, while occupations deemed dirty and degrading, such as sewer cleaners and brick kiln workers, are reserved for Christians.

Open Doors says there are 4.2 million Christians in Pakistan, making up 1.8% of the country’s 234 million-strong population.

Sudan

At least 165 churches have been closed and others destroyed amid a power struggle between Sudan’s National Army and the Rapid Support Forces.

Churches have reported human rights abuses such as rape, kidnap and looting. Radical groups have also abducted and killed Christian men, according to Open Doors.

The organisation reports fears the conflict in Sudan will allow Islamic extremists to get a “renewed foothold” in the country, undoing recent reforms, including the removal of Islam as the state religion.

Men face being beaten or imprisoned, while women are vulnerable to forced marriage and being disinherited if they become Christian converts.

Iran

It is understood there are about 1.2 million Christians among 87 million people in Iran, where converting from Islam to Christianity is illegal.

Converts who get caught face arrest and imprisonment as Iran’s leaders see conversion as a Western attempt to undermine the country and its government.

Those arrested face torture and abuse in jail, with Christians closely monitored on their release.

Traditional Christian communities, such as Armenian or Assyrian Christians, are tolerated more but will still be treated like second-class citizens, according to Open Doors.

The situation for Christians in Iran is “very risky”, but despite persecution, the church continues to grow, Open Doors reports.

Afghanistan

If a Christian’s faith is discovered in Afghanistan, it can mean a death sentence, detention and torture.

A lot of Christians fled the country when the Taliban regained in 2021, but some remained, keeping their faith secret.

Women are said to be particularly vulnerable, but a Christian woman faces “an incredibly difficult” situation, according to Open Doors.

The number of Christians in the country is estimated to amount to thousands. However, as elsewhere in the world, accurate numbers are difficult to ascertain because believers are forced to practise their faith in such secrecy.