The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress of Deputies (Spain’s national parliament in Madrid) has approved an initiative to protect Christians in the country from persecution. The proposal, which was presented by the conservative Popular Party, also encouraged the promotion of more international action against massacres influenced by faith.
Making the presentation, Member of Parliament Maribel Sánchez described religious freedom as a fundamental human right and an “indicator of democratic quality.” She emphasized that this right is enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, even though the reality is that this standard is not universally upheld. Sánchez also referred to the most recent data from leading organisations such as the World Watch List 2026 compiled by Open Doors, which indicates that 388 million Christians live in countries where they suffer high, very high, or extreme levels of persecution and discrimination.
She stated that these occurrences are not isolated cases, but a structural pattern where “the rise of authoritarian governments and wars are destroying the right to religious freedom.”
The proposal also outlined the systematic discrimination that has negative repercussions on the daily lives of millions of Christians in numerous countries and discrimination as outlined by Ted Blake, director of Open Doors in Spain, in a recent interview with the Spanish news website Protestant Digital.
Blake outlined that persecution does not always present in the same way, but in many instances, it is often silent and structural. “It’s not that everyone is being persecuted all the time, but they live in a context where they are vulnerable and their rights are limited in their daily lives,” he explained.
This context entails difficulties such as challenges in accessing employment, education, or justice, putting Christians at a disadvantage. The subsequent debate and vote from the representatives clearly indicated the division on the matter as the proposal was passed by 1 vote and with 18 abstentions.
The initiative, however, urges the Spanish government to improve its diplomatic action, spearheading conversations against the persecution of Christians in the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the UN. It also makes connections between respect for human rights and international agreements, highlighting that a prevention method for forced migration is a direct result for the defence of religious freedom.
According to the 2025 Religious Freedom Report by Aid to the Church in Need, religious persecution affects more than 5.4 billion people living in countries with serious violations of the right to religion.