Egypt approves licensing of 160 more churches

The government of Egypt has approved the licensing of another 160 churches and church-affiliated buildings.

This is the 29th batch of approvals made since the government committee overseeing the licensing process began work in 2017.

It is nearly a year since the previous set of decisions, in which the committee licensed 293 churches.

Several representatives of the Egyptian government were present, including Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly who presided over the meeting.

The committee has now approved licences for 3,613 out of the 3,730 churches that applied for registration after a Law for Building and Restoring Churches abolished Ottoman-era restrictions on church buildings in 2016.

To secure their licences, churches must prove ownership of land and fulfil structural and safety obligations, including the availability of fire extinguishers.

Read more: What is it like to live as a Christian in Egypt?

Before the committee addressed the task of processing licences it was extremely difficult for churches to obtain a licence, and many congregations had no option but to worship illegally in unregistered buildings.

In 2018 the government allowed Christians to worship in unlicensed buildings pending the completion of the registration process.

In some areas, however, congregations risk having their churches sealed or demolished by local authorities under the pretext of lacking permits, even when they have applied.

Tens of thousands of churches still await legal recognition. Some have applied, but it is not clear whether their applications are under consideration; others have been unable to apply due to various bureaucratic reasons.

Small house churches, especially those attended by converts from Islam, often operate in secret, vulnerable to raids and community backlash.