A committee of the Egyptian government approved the licenses of 293 churches and church-affiliated buildings on October 21. Since 2017, when the licensing began, more than 3,400 churches were given licenses. In 2016, the government of Egypt demolished a restriction from the Ottoman Era and approved the Law for Building and Restoring Churches.

Overall, 3,730 churches applied for licenses since 2017, and with the latest round, 3,453 gained it. To be accepted and granted a license, the church has to comply with certain criteria. Churches have to have full ownership of their land, and the buildings themselves must pass structural and safety tests.

Before the government committee started its work and addressed the license applications, it was very difficult for churches to get licenses. As a result, many churches held their worship services illegally and were unable to register their buildings. In 2018, the government made a concession and allowed Christian communities to hold their worship services in unlicensed buildings during the registration process. The work of the committee is a great step further for the Egyptian Christian communities, but there are still more than 300 churches left waiting for the approval of their licenses.

Source: Barnabas Aid