These 10 refugees are in Italy, thanks to a 'humanitarian corridor.' They had been waiting for months to get on the plane, blocked due to the pandemic.
At Fiumicino airport in Rome, the founder of the Community of Sant'Egidio received them. In a climate of built-up emotion, he told them that despite the blocks, they were not forgotten.
ANDREA RICCARDI
Founder, Community of Sant'Egidio
'Humanitarian Corridors from Lesbos are a way to carry out the hope that led you to start this long journey.'
This group unites many others that have come to Europe, thanks to Sant'Egidio's work alongside the Vatican. They have brought 57 other refugees. The first group came in 2016, brought personally by the pope, on his return from Lesbos.
The Humanitarian Corridors system has allowed 3,000 refugees from the Middle East and Africa enter Europe.
It is a network of organizations that, in collaboration with European governments, selects refugees who can travel to Europe.
In this way there's a double guarantee: migrants are removed from the clutches of the mafia and they are assisted when integrating into their new home, which is a relief to the countries that receive them.
Javier Romero
Translation: Melissa Butz
