Christian migration to southern Iraq

The Basra Council of Churches reported an increase in Christian migration to southern Iraq.

According to statistics announced by the Basra Council of Churches, in the past, more than 7,000 Christian families lived in southern Iraq, but according to statistics obtained, the number of Christian families in southern Iraq has now reached 350, indicating an increase in the migration of Christian families.

According to published statistics, more than 80 percent of Christians in Basra, Nasiriyah, Kut, and Al-Amara have emigrated, and the reason for their emigration has been stated to be the weakness of the law, lack of respect for rights, and treatment as third-class citizens.

In the past few decades, the number of extremist Islamic groups in Iraq has increased, and with their emergence, the wave of attacks on Christians has also increased, to the point that a large number of Christians have been killed by extremist Islamists, because these extremist groups consider the beliefs and activities of Christians to be contrary to Islam and believe that they must be eliminated.

The extremist Islamist group considers the current treatment of Christians as progress and believes that all non-Muslims in Iraq should be eliminated. It should be noted that in the attacks by the extremist Islamist group on Christians, "Paul Faraj Rahu", the Chaldean Archbishop, and many other priests in various churches were killed.

The attacks and killings of Christians by the extremist Islamist group led to the forced migration of Christians to the Kurdistan Region and abroad, and this forced migration also led to a change in the population of Iraq. Today, Iraqi Christians are witnessing a decrease in the number of Christian families every day.

According to published statistics, the Christian population in Iraq has declined from 4% to 1% since 1987, and the main reason for the decline in their population in Iraq is security problems and the lack of suitable jobs for Christians.