Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al Zaidi urges Christians abroad to return, offering land incentives and investment opportunities amid calls for deeper reforms.
Newsroom (15/07/2026 Gaudium Press ) Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al Zaidi has appealed to Iraqi Christians living abroad to return to their homeland, describing their return as a national priority and a vital step toward strengthening the country’s social fabric and future development.
The appeal was made during a meeting with Chaldean Patriarch Paul III Nona, where the prime minister outlined a range of measures aimed at encouraging Christian families who left Iraq to come back. Among the most significant incentives is the government’s decision to make returning Christian families eligible for Iraq’s initiative to distribute one million residential land plots.
Al Zaidi emphasized that Iraq’s strength is rooted in its ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity. He described Christians as an indispensable part of Iraqi society, highlighting their historical and contemporary contributions to the nation.
“Christians are an active and essential component of Iraqi society and a key partner in building the state and shaping Iraq’s history and future,” the prime minister said.
Government Seeks Greater Christian Participation
Beyond encouraging families to return, Al Zaidi also extended an invitation to Iraqi Christian entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders living overseas to participate in the country’s reconstruction and economic development.
He urged members of the Christian diaspora to take advantage of investment opportunities across multiple sectors, particularly healthcare and education, areas he identified as priorities for national growth and modernization.
According to the prime minister, the government remains committed to maintaining stability and providing support mechanisms to help ensure the success of investment projects. He said such initiatives would not only contribute to economic development but also generate employment opportunities and support broader national recovery efforts.
Church Welcomes the Initiative
Chaldean Patriarch Paul III Nona welcomed the government’s position and expressed appreciation for the prime minister’s commitment to supporting Iraq’s Christian community.
He said the initiative sends a powerful message to Iraqi Christians living abroad, encouraging them to consider returning while reinforcing confidence in Iraq’s future.
Nona also noted that the government’s approach could encourage Christian business leaders and investors to play a greater role in Iraq’s reconstruction and development, helping to rebuild communities and strengthen the national economy.
Support Tempered by Calls for Reform
While Church leaders broadly welcomed the initiative, they also stressed that addressing the reasons behind Christian emigration remains essential if the government hopes to achieve meaningful results.
Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Nicodemus Matti Sharaf of the Archdiocese of Mosul, Kirkuk, and Kurdistan described the prime minister’s appeal as an important acknowledgment of the Christian community’s place in Iraq.
He said the invitation represents “an official recognition of the Christian community’s rightful place in the land of its fathers and ancestors.”
However, Sharaf cautioned that symbolic gestures alone would not be sufficient to reverse years of migration. Speaking to an Arabic television channel, he argued that unless the root causes that drove many Christians to leave are effectively addressed, large-scale returns are unlikely.
Persistent Challenges Remain
The archbishop identified a series of long-standing issues that continue to discourage many Iraqi Christians from returning.
Among the concerns he raised were ongoing marginalization and what he described as inadequate political representation. Sharaf noted that Christians still lack a dedicated electoral register that would allow them to elect their own representatives to Parliament.
He also pointed to broader national challenges, including corruption, weak infrastructure, limited access to quality healthcare and education, and insufficient employment opportunities.
According to Sharaf, many Christians who established lives abroad inevitably compare the opportunities and services available in their host countries with conditions that remain unavailable or underdeveloped in Iraq.
“These conditions force many Iraqi Christians abroad to compare what they have found overseas with what remains unavailable at home,” he said.
Corruption Seen as Major Obstacle
Sharaf expressed hope that the government’s anti-corruption efforts would continue with determination and deliver concrete results capable of rebuilding public trust.
He argued that corruption remains one of the most significant barriers to encouraging citizens to stay in or return to Iraq, regardless of religious affiliation.
Describing the scale of the problem in stark terms, the archbishop said Iraq is “a country floating on a lake of corruption,” adding that the issue alone is enough to push many citizens to leave.
His remarks underscore the broader challenge facing the government’s repatriation initiative: while incentives such as land allocations and investment support may attract interest, long-term success will likely depend on tangible improvements in governance, public services, economic opportunities, and political inclusion.
As Baghdad seeks to encourage the return of its Christian diaspora, the government’s promises of support are being welcomed. Yet church leaders insist that lasting change will require addressing the structural issues that contributed to the community’s exodus in the first place.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from EWTN News
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