A high-level conference at the European Parliament explored the future of Christians in Syria and the importance of religious freedom, equal citizenship and political participation.
Discussions highlighted the challenges of persecution, displacement, emigration and the need for justice and sustainable community development.
BACA’s Hannah Chowdhry attended to learn more about these challenges and explore how BACA can support persecuted Christian communities.
The conference emphasised a future where Christians can remain, return, rebuild and live as equal citizens in their homeland.
The future of Christians in Syria was the focus of a high-level conference held at the European Parliament in Brussels on 8 September 2026. The gathering brought together religious leaders, political representatives and organisations concerned with religious freedom, human rights and the future of Syria.
Hannah Chowdhry, Global Programmes and Communications Manager for the British Asian Christian Association (BACA), attended the meeting as part of BACA’s ongoing commitment to understanding the experiences of Christians facing persecution and exploring how practical support can reach communities affected by insecurity, displacement and discrimination.
For BACA, attending meetings such as this is an opportunity not only to listen to the experiences of persecuted Christian communities, but also to learn from those working directly on the ground, understand the challenges communities face and consider how organisations such as BACA can contribute through advocacy, humanitarian assistance and practical support.
The discussions in Brussels highlighted a central question: what does it mean to secure a future for Christians in Syria?
A clear message emerged: the future of Christians and other historically rooted communities in Syria cannot be secured through temporary protection or symbolic representation alone. It requires equal citizenship, meaningful political participation, constitutional and legal guarantees, security under the rule of law, and the ability to remain in or return to Syria with dignity.
At the same time, this is not a question of “minorities versus a majority”. The wider vision discussed at the conference was of a pluralistic Syria in which all citizens are equal before the law and able to participate in shaping the country’s future.
A Christian presence rooted in Syria
Christians are not a temporary or foreign presence in Syria. Syria is deeply connected to the origins and history of Christianity and has been home to Christian communities for centuries.
The Levantine National Council’s position papers emphasise that Christians are an integral part of Syria’s history, culture and society. Their protection should therefore not depend upon exceptional measures or sectarian privileges. Instead, the aim should be a state in which all citizens enjoy equal rights and responsibilities, including freedom of religion and belief, judicial independence, political participation and protection against discrimination.
This places the future of Christians within the wider future of Syria itself. The objective is not simply to preserve a Christian presence, but to create the conditions in which Christians can remain, return, participate and contribute to rebuilding their country.
From protection to citizenship
One of the important themes raised during the conference was the distinction between protection and citizenship.
Fr. Basilios Khamis of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in the Netherlands reflected on religious freedom from an ecclesial and humanitarian perspective. He argued that religious freedom should be understood as a fundamental human right rather than a privilege granted by those in power.
His contribution highlighted an important distinction: a state may say that it protects Christians, but a stronger model is one in which Christians can rely on the law because they are citizens with equal rights.
Protection can be particularly important when communities face immediate threats. However, protection that depends upon changing political circumstances does not provide the same security as rights guaranteed by law.
As Fr. Basilios expressed the principle, the aspiration should not be “Syria for Christians”, nor should Christians seek special privileges at the expense of other communities. Rather, it should be Syria for all Syrians.
This approach is consistent with the wider message of the conference: Christians should not be viewed simply as a community requiring permanent guardianship, but as citizens with a legitimate role in the political, social and cultural life of their homeland.
Religious freedom means more than protecting churches
Religious freedom extends far beyond the physical protection of churches.
It includes freedom of belief and worship, protection of homes and property, access to public life, equality before the law and the ability of citizens to participate in determining their country’s political future.
The Levantine National Council calls for the protection of churches, monasteries, cemeteries, religious sites and cultural institutions, alongside protection of private and public property. It also identifies access to justice and effective legal protection as essential.
Fr. Basilios similarly highlighted the danger of measuring the survival of Christianity simply by whether churches remain open. A church can remain standing while the community around it gradually disappears through insecurity, loss of trust and emigration.
This is an important distinction. Protecting a building is not the same as sustaining a community.
Homes, churches, schools, cemeteries, cultural institutions and family histories are all connected to a community’s ability to remain rooted in its homeland.
Displacement, property and the right to return
One of the strongest themes in the position papers is the right to return.
Displacement should not automatically become permanent. Where people wish to return, that return should be voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable.
Returning home requires more than simply crossing a geographical boundary. People need secure homes, recognised property rights, functioning infrastructure, schools, healthcare, employment, religious institutions and legal protection.
The Council’s paper concerning Al-Soura Al-Kubra places particular emphasis on the connection between displacement, property, memory and identity. A home represents a person’s relationship with their land; a church represents the history of a community; and a cemetery represents generations of families who lived and died there.
The position paper therefore calls for damaged sites and properties to be documented, property records preserved, testimonies recorded and serious violations investigated.
This work is important not only for historical purposes, but also for protecting the rights of people who may wish to return.
From symbolic representation to meaningful participation
Protection also requires political participation.
The conference discussions emphasised that representation should be genuine and inclusive rather than symbolic. A political system and constitution should guarantee equality before the law, judicial independence and non-discrimination.
The Levantine National Council calls for Christian participation in constitutional processes, legislative and executive institutions, local governance, political and party life, transitional justice and reconstruction programmes.
Christian representation should also extend beyond church institutions to include political, civic, cultural, youth, women’s and community voices.
Fr. Basilios’s emphasis on citizenship reinforces this point. If Christians are equal citizens, they should not merely be represented as a community to be protected; they should be participants in the decisions that affect their country.
The wider goal is therefore participation rather than dependency.
Faith, young people and families
The future of Christian communities also depends upon whether younger generations can see a future in Syria.
Archbishop Georges Masri reflected on this dimension during the conference, describing Syria as the “cradle of Christianity” and highlighting both internal and external challenges facing Christians.
He emphasised the importance of strengthening the faith of children and young people through Christian educational programmes, while also encouraging Christians to participate in political and civic life.
He identified wider pressures—including economic and social difficulties, emigration and the challenges facing young families—as factors that can weaken the future of Christian communities.
The response therefore cannot be limited to humanitarian assistance. Archbishop Masri called for support for schools, universities and cultural institutions, alongside sustainable development projects that can help people move from dependence on aid towards work, production and self-reliance.
The position papers similarly identify security, employment, education, housing and political stability as important factors affecting whether people remain in Syria or leave.
Initiatives supporting small businesses, vocational education, universities, youth employment, the return of skilled professionals and women’s empowerment can therefore form part of a broader strategy for rebuilding communities.
Justice and the rule of law
Lasting security cannot be separated from justice.
The Levantine National Council calls for truth-seeking, documentation of violations, accountability for those responsible for grave crimes, reparations, restitution of rights and mechanisms for resolving property claims.
At the same time, it rejects collective revenge or punishment based on communal identity. Responsibility should be individual and justice should operate through the rule of law.
This principle is particularly important in a country emerging from years of conflict and displacement. Communities need confidence that violations will be documented and addressed through lawful processes.
Justice is therefore not simply about the past. It is part of rebuilding trust in the institutions that are supposed to protect citizens in the future.
What role can Europe play?
The conference also considered the role of Europe and international partners.
The European Union and international organisations can support inclusive dialogue, transparent institutions and efforts to ensure that Syrians from different communities are able to participate in discussions about their country’s future.
The Levantine National Council calls for international support for constitutional guarantees of equality and freedom of religion and belief, political participation, protection of religious and historical heritage, property rights, voluntary and sustainable return, documentation, transitional justice and accountability.
Fr. Basilios similarly argued that Europe’s role should not be one of permanent guardianship over Christians. Instead, international engagement can support religious freedom, human rights, the rule of law and equal citizenship.
The principle is important: international support should help create the conditions for Syrians themselves to build an inclusive state, rather than replacing Syrian voices or determining the country’s future on their behalf.
A future, not a museum
Perhaps one of the most powerful messages contained in the position papers is that the goal should not simply be to preserve evidence of Christian communities after they have disappeared.
The vision is not for Christian villages to become museums, or for churches and cemeteries to remain as monuments to communities that are no longer there.
The goal is for families to return where they wish to do so, schools to reopen, churches to function, homes to be secure, young people to find opportunities and communities to contribute to rebuilding their country.
This means moving beyond a narrow understanding of protection.
Protection should create the conditions for participation.
Christians should be able to practise their faith, raise their families, own property, access justice, participate in public life and help shape the institutions of their country.
For BACA, understanding these challenges is an important part of considering how practical support can be provided. Conferences and meetings such as the one in Brussels allow organisations to hear directly about the pressures facing Christian communities and to identify areas where humanitarian assistance, advocacy, legal support, education and community development may be needed.
The discussions in Brussels therefore presented a vision of Syria in which Christianity remains a living part of the country’s present and future—not simply a reminder of its past.
As Archbishop Georges Masri emphasised, there is an urgency to the situation, and action is needed. Yet the message from the conference was also one of hope: that it is not too late to work towards a Syria where communities can remain rooted, rebuild and live together.
The future of Christians in Syria is therefore not simply a question of whether they can survive the present. It is whether they can remain, return, rebuild and participate with dignity as equal citizens.
Hannah Chowdhry, Global Programmes and Communications Manager of BACA said:
“It was a really valuable experience to hear directly about the challenges facing Christians in Syria. Much of what was discussed resonated with the work I do with persecuted Christian communities across Asia, particularly in Pakistan, where I have seen how discrimination, insecurity and poverty can affect every part of a Christian family’s life.
Through my work with BACA, I have been involved in supporting vulnerable Christian families and individuals facing persecution and hardship, helping to share their stories, raise awareness of the injustices they experience and connect practical assistance with those who need it most.
The discussions in Brussels reinforced for me that supporting persecuted Christians must go beyond responding to an immediate crisis. We need to help create the conditions in which Christian families can live safely and with dignity, practise their faith freely, educate their children, earn a livelihood and build a future within their own communities.
Whether we are speaking about Christians in Pakistan, Syria or elsewhere, our aim should not simply be to help people survive persecution, but to stand alongside them as they rebuild their lives and work towards a future of security, opportunity and equal rights.”
— Hannah Chowdhry, Global Programmes and Communications Manager, BACA
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At the British Asian Christian Association (BACA), we believe that Christians facing persecution and hardship should not have to face it alone.
Through practical assistance, advocacy and support for vulnerable Christian communities, BACA works to provide hope, protection and dignity to people experiencing persecution and displacement.
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