35 refugees from countries with ongoing conflicts and widespread violence such as Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia and Cameroon have landed at Fiumicino airport on a flight from Athens this morning. Some have spent years in refugee camps on Greek islands, including Moria on Lesbos.
The families and individuals – including 17 minors – will be welcomed in seven Italian regions (Latium, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Molise, Piedmont, Sicily). They will be immediately accompanied towards integration: minors through immediate enrolment in school, adults by learning the Italian language and, once refugee status has been obtained, by integration into the world of work.
In total, more than 4,600 refugees have arrived in Europe, including 3,900 in Italy, with the humanitarian corridor system, implemented thanks to a widespread reception network.
All this thanks to a totally self-financed project and the generosity not only of associations and parishes but also of citizens who have offered their homes and their free and voluntary commitment.