In its “Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe Report 2024” OIDAC Europe identified 2,444 anti-Christian hate crimes which were documented by police and civil society in 35 European countries in 2023, including 232 personal attacks on Christians, such as harassment, threats and physical violence.
These figures include data from the ODIHR/OSCE, which found 1,230 anti-Christian hate crimes recorded by 10 European governments in 2023, up from 1,029 recorded by governments in 2022. The ODIHR/OSCE Hate Crime Data Report is also released on 15 November, in view of the International Day of Tolerance.
According to OIDAC Europe, countries of particular concern were France, with nearly 1,000 anti-Christian hate crimes in 2023; the United Kingdom, where incidents rose to more than 700; and Germany, which saw a 105% increase in anti-Christian hate crimes, rising from 135 in 2022 to 277 in 2023.
In addition to violent attacks, OIDAC Europe’s report also found discrimination against Christians in the workplace and in public life in some European countries, leading to increasing self-censorship among Christians in Europe.
The past year has also seen a number of restrictions on religious freedom by European governments, ranging from bans on religious processions to the targeting of Christians for the peaceful expression of their religious beliefs.
SUMMARY of OIDAC Key Findings:
ANTI-CHRISTIAN HATE CRIMES
1. Combining police statistics and civil society data, 2,444 anti-Christian hate
crimes were identified in 35 European countries, including 232 personal
attacks on Christians.
2. The most affected countries in 2023 are France, the United Kingdom and
Germany, with anti-Christian hate crimes doubling in Germany compared
to last year.
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHRISTIANS
3. New findings have revealed widespread discrimination against Christian
in the workplace and in various spheres of society. The expression of
traditional religious beliefs is increasingly met with hostility and can lead
to discrimination and bullying at work or even loss of employment.
4. Christian politicians are particularly vulnerable to discrimination on the
basis of their personal religious beliefs and may be forced to choose
between their political career and their religious beliefs.
5. These forms of discrimination have a ‘chilling effect’, leading many
Christians, particularly among the younger generation, to self-censor or
even hide their beliefs at university and in the workplace, as recent findings
demonstrate.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTRICTIONS
6. A number of restrictions on religious freedom affecting Christians in Europe
have been identified, concerning public prayer, religious manifestations,
public expression of religious beliefs, religious autonomy, parental rights and
conscientious objection to military service and certain medical procedures.
7. In 2023-24, several people have been fined and prosecuted for peacefully
praying in public streets in so-called ‘buffer zones’ around abortion clinics,
including a man convicted in the UK for praying silently in his own mind.
Source: OIDAC Europe Report 2024
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