The Community of Sant’Egidio has welcomed a group of 51 Syrian refugees to Rome as part of a humanitarian corridor to support those affected by the ongoing conflict and living in unsafe housing or refugee camps.
Vatican News
On Tuesday, 51 refugees from Syria arrived at Rome’s Fiumicino airport from Beirut. The Community of Sant’Egidio, the Federation of Evangelical Churches of Italy and the Waldesa Table have collaborated with the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs to bring the contingent to Italy.
Some refugees were living in unsafe housing in Beirut and Saida, southern Lebanon, while others lived in camps in the Bekaa Valley, an area directly affected by the ongoing conflict.
The group is made up of several families, including many single mothers with children, who will live in different regions of Italy.
Through the Humanitarian Corridor Initiative, families will receive assistance with Italian language classes to adjust to life in the country and assistance entering the workforce once they receive refugee status.
humanitarian corridors
These 51 refugees are not the first refugees welcomed in Italy. Since 2016, the efforts of the Community of Sant’Egidio and its partners have helped bring almost 3,000 people safely to Italy from Lebanon alone.
In total, more than 7,700 refugees have arrived in Europe through humanitarian corridors.
Pope Francis and refugees
The refugee crisis has remained a key issue for Pope Francis during his 11 years in office. Not only has he spoken out on the matter, but he has held countries responsible for their indifference and has taken measures to support refugees during his pontificate.
In 2016, after concluding his visit to the Greek island of Lesbos, Pope Francis brought 12 refugees from Syria, including six children, to Rome.
Five years later, when he visited Greece, he met nine young Syrian Christians at the Apostolic Embassy in Athens.
