191 Afghan refugees arrive in Italy with humanitarian corridors

Rome: A total of 191 Afghan refugees arrived in Rome on June 21 from Pakistan thanks to humanitarian corridors, promoted by Sant’Egidio together with other associations and in agreement with the Italian Ministry of Interior and of Foreign Affairs.

A total of 191 Afghan refugees arrived on the night of June 21 on a flight from Islamabad, Pakistan, thanks to humanitarian corridors implemented by the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), the Community of Sant’Egidio, the Italian Protestant Churches, and the Recreational and Cultural Association of Italy (ARCI), in agreement with the Italian Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs.

Among those who arrived were 71 minors and 70 women. These family units and single individuals — refugees in Pakistan since August 2021 — had spent nearly three years living in extremely precarious conditions in informal tented settlements in the center of Islamabad.

Following the takeover of the Taliban and the mass exodus that followed, many of the Afghans who were able to seek refuge in neighboring countries are still waiting to be resettled.

On Saturday, June 22, at the Italian language and culture school of the Community of Sant’Egidio in Rome, the refugees were welcomed by family members and mediators who will help them integrate. For minors, this means learning the Italian language from school, and for adults, this means being integrated into the job market.

The founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio, Andrea Ricciardi, took part in the event. “Sant’Egidio has built a bridge to bring you to Italy and to reunite families who were separated by hardship,” he noted.

“Now you are free to build your future: learning Italian, becoming responsible for your own families, and integrating yourselves into this country”, he added.

To date, the humanitarian corridors have allowed over 7,400 refugees to safely reach Europe, including 1,200 Afghans. This entirely self-financed project was realized thanks to a shelter network supported by the generosity of many Italian citizens and represents a successful model that combines safety and solidarity, Ricciardi noted.