This is the moment that 97 refugees evacuated from detention camps in Libya arrived in Rome. Some of them were victims of torture.
They were able to escape from Libya thanks to an initiative of the Community of Sant'Egidio, a Catholic lay movement dedicated to social service. Their initiative allows refugees to enter Europe legally. The arrival of the refugees in Rome marks the end of a hard journey and the promise of a new beginning.
MASSIMILIANO SIGNIFREDI
Community of Sant'Egidio
The arrival of refugees is always a moment of great celebration in which children hold balloons, banners, Italian flags and shout “long live Italy,” because Italy has welcomed them.
This initiative, called “humanitarian corridors,” is promoted by Sant'Egidio thanks to the collaboration with local governments and churches. It includes two challenges—on the one hand, to bring families legally. On the other hand, to integrate them.
MASSIMILIANO SIGNIFREDI
Community of Sant'Egidio
The main vehicle for integration is language. But it is also necessary to transmit the culture of the country they are arriving in. We give a copy of the Italian Constitution, translated into their language, to the refugees arriving with the humanitarian corridors. To make them understand that they are going to live in a democratic country where women's rights are respected, where child labor is forbidden, where children must go to school.
The selection process for refugees takes vulnerability into account. Within a refugee camp, they choose those who have the greatest difficulty. For example, single mothers with small children, sick people, people with disabilities or people persecuted for their faith.
MASSIMILIANO SIGNIFREDI
Community of Sant'Egidio
I was very struck by the story of an Afghan man, my age, with two children. He was a teacher, like me, but he was a fugitive, because suddenly war broke out in his country. His government denied rights to minorities and women and he had to flee his country. And I thought that at the end of the day, every one of us could find ourselves—for one reason or another—in that situation: having to leave our country with our family and everything we own in a suitcase.
A total of 7,000 people have managed to evacuate to Europe. Italy has taken in more than 3,000. The rest were sent to France, Belgium and Andorra.
PA
TR: AT
