Global Christian Relief Red List 2025

Abductions & Assaults

​The top 5 nations in the GCR Red List are 

1. Nigeria
2. Mexico
3. Haiti
4. Cameroon
5. Ethiopia

 
When combined with ransom requests, abductions do more than cause terror and civil unrest. It's a terrible industry which siphons wealth from Christians to perpetrators worldwide. Pastors and church leaders often become targets because a congregation can collectively raise more money. Kidnappings often fuel organized crime, non-state militias and terrorist organizations. As such, it is imperative for governments to take action.
 
Nigeria tops the 2025 GCR Red List for Abductions &Assaults with 9,311 recorded incidents during the reporting period, highlighting a clear and systematic attack designed to funnel money and women from Christian communities to bad actors like Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province and Al-Qaeda affiliates. Many are young women snatched to be brides for jihadis. Nigeria greatly exceeds the other top-5 offenders by the thousands.
 
Mexico is a distant second on the Red List, with 138 verified Christian disappearances from lawless regions. Many recorded attacks lack identified perpetrators, yet the victims are clearly targeted for their faith or religious behavior. Pastors and church leaders who choose to stand against corruption, trafficking or the drug trade frequently vanish. Given the wide-spread activity of organized crime in the country, it is unsurprising that these criminals are often identified as the primary culprits.
 
Third on the Abductions list is Haiti, a nation plagued by chaos. Here, organized crime and gang activity are the primary drivers. The 101 reported incidents include bus hijackings, kidnappings of families and pastors from parishes and abductions from homes. These acts, often carried out for profit, foster an environment of fear. The weak and fractured government only exacerbates the vulnerability of believers.
 
Fourth on the Red List for Abductions & Assaults is Cameroon, with 83 verified incidents. Violence against Christians in this country often targets church gatherings. One abduction involved 15 people who were captured and held for ransom while on their way to worship. Although Cameroon is not tradition all considered part of Africa's Sahel region, it experiences significant and violent spillover from the Lake Chad Basin.
 
Finally, Ethiopia ranks fifth. The ongoing war in the Tigray region has fueled lawlessness and widespread violence, particularly in provinces near Eritrea, Sudan and Somalia. We recorded 78 abductions during the reporting period. A pastor who was released remarked, "There are times in war when ... standing for peace is regarded as traitorous."
 
The 2025 Global Christian Relief Red List. Washington, D.C.