The initiative offers opportunities for integration and professional development in the IT sector, UNHCR noted in a statement.

The people on the initial program come originally from Burundi, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. They had all been granted refugee status in Uganda before being selected for the program, and are between the ages of 19 and 46.

The group completed a training course in Information Technology, gaining advanced skills in programing languages such as Java and Sql, UNHCR stated.

A total of 16 refugees selected in Uganda will arrive in Italy thanks to the program, one of the first labor mobility pathways developed.

Read AlsoBansumana's tale: From slavery in Libya to pizza chef in Italy

Integration is key

In addition to Information Technology training, the refugees attended civic-linguistic courses that will help them to integrate in an Italian labor and social context.

Following their arrival, the refugees will begin to work in the sector of Information Technology to contribute to the growth of the Italian technological sector. Of the 16 refugees, eight will be employed by the strategic consulting company Accenture at their Naples office.

Within a few days, another one will arrive in Turin, employed by the computer technology firm Aubay, while others will be employed by the business and technology accelerator, Dedagroup (Deda), the field service management software solutions company OverIT, an insurance and services company Reale ITES, and ValueTech, that says on its website it provides customized software solutions for its customers.

Read AlsoItaly: Legal pathways to migrate

Skills pathway

The ReadyForIT Labor - Pathways for Refugees project is part of an initiative creating 'work corridors' for Refugees, which follows the principle of a humanitarian corridor but adds in a path directly to work for those on the program.

The UNHCR describes the initiative as a way of selecting and training refugees in third countries that are already skilled in specific professional sectors for their entrance into the Italian labor market.

The project was designed by a foundation that is part of Accenture (Fondazione Italiana Accenture ETS) and led by UNHCR alongside the foundation itself, as well as the Diaconia Valdese (the civil service arm of the Waldensian and Methodist churches in Italy), Talent Beyond Boundaries (an organization set up to try and offer refugees opportunities and tap in to their skills), Pathways International (a Canadian NGO committed to providing safe and legal pathways for refugees), l'International Trade Centre - ITC (that works to connect businesses in developing countries with global trade), and Unione Industriali Torino (the Industrial Trade Unions in Turin), with support from the Reale Foundation (a philanthropic initiative working in Italy, Spain and Chile) and Fondazione Conad ETS (a foundation from a large supermarket conglomerate, working to promote development projects in Italy).

The organization Develhope (an organization offering courses to start your career in the tech industry), Refactory Uganda (which says it works to 'skill African tech talent'), and Finn Church Aid (Finland's largest development corporation).

Read AlsoItaly: Calls for greater protection against migrant worker exploitation

Italy among first countries in the world with 'extra quota' pathway

Italy is one of the first countries in the world to develop a regular entrance channel for refugees in the labor sector, through a so-called 'extra quota' pathway. This channel makes it possible for Italian companies to select and employ refugees after a training course abroad, contributing to the creation of an integration and solidarity model that places value on the skills of refugees and meets the demands of Italian companies.

Over the next few months, in addition to the arrivals from Uganda, other pathways will be completed for the selection and training of refugees in Egypt and Jordan, for their insertion in other strategic sectors such as shipbuilding and goldsmithery.

"Italy is maintaining and increasing its role as a laboratory where -- thanks to collaboration between authorities, international organizations, and civil society -- innovative, replicable, and sustainable solutions are found," said Chiara Cardoletti, UNHCR Representative for Italy, the Holy See and San Marino. She posted about the arrival on her X page, starting by wishing the new arrivals "welcome!" to Italy, and then adding that she was "proud to have welcomed the first group of refugees on the program ReadyforIt."

"Through these pathways, we are able to give refugees what they aspire to: work in line with their skills, a job they strongly want that, fully deserving of this, they can finally have," she added.

"Refugees can be a precious resource in countries like Italy where the gap between labor demand and supply is significant." This initiative is part of the programatic lines of the Global Compact on Refugees.