Building bridges: PM al-Sudani seeks Christian migrants return

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met with Bishop Antonios, the Archbishop of Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon for the Orthodox Copts, along with his accompanying delegation, to discuss efforts to bring Christian migrants back to Iraq.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office, al-Sudani highlighted the government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the rights, representation, and freedoms of all communities in Iraq, including the Christian population.

“Iraq has made significant progress in establishing stability by providing services, improving the standard of living for citizens, and rehabilitating infrastructure in various regions and provinces,” al-Sudani stated during the meeting, pointing out to new development projects in Sinjar and Nineveh Plain, launched that day, to serve Christian residents and other local communities.

The Christian delegation, in turn, expressed appreciation for the Iraqi government’s attention to their community and its broader efforts to promote stability through development and reconstruction, praising the positive impact of these initiatives, which benefit all citizens of Iraq.

Iraq’s Christian population, one of the oldest in the Middle East, has faced significant decline. Once numbering 1.4 million before 2003, the community now counts roughly 300,000 due to decades of violence, displacement, and targeted attacks.