South West Devon MP Rebecca Smith recently attended the launch of the Open Doors UK & Ireland World Watch List 2026.

The World Watch List is Open Doors’ annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution, with more than 380 million Christians around the world experiencing high levels of persecution and discrimination because of their faith.

The list also shows tragic figures including thousands killed, churches attacked, and many forced from their homes because of who they are and what they believe.

Ms Smith said: “As someone with a personal Christian faith, it is always deeply moving to hear about the vital work that Open Doors are doing and to represent the concerns of many constituents who asked me to attend.

“It was powerful to hear firsthand why this work matters and a reminder that freedom of religion and belief, whoever you worship, is a human right we should all care about.

“A big thank you to Open Doors and the team for the incredible work they do and the difference they are making to Christian communities across the world.

Topping the list was North Korea where Christians must keep their faith an absolute secret.

Christians often won’t even tell their partners or children about their faith for fear of discovery.

If a North Korean Christian is discovered, they could be killed instantly and if not they will be arrested and imprisoned.

In second place comes Somalia where Christians live in one of the harshest environments in the world and persecution arises from multiple sources.

A key one amongst them is the extremist group Al-Shabaab, which openly executes anyone they suspect might be a Christian.

Conversion to Christianity comes with extreme risk – believers can be disowned by their clan which leaves them highly vulnerable, and some are even killed by their own relatives to preserve the ‘honour’ of the community.