Italian government representatives and a number of Christian organizations have signed a deal that will allow 1,000 refugees to be transferred from Lebanon over the next three years, via humanitarian corridors.
The Community of Sant'Egidio, the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy and the Waldensian Table signed the agreement with the ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs, enabling the refugees to reach Italy through humanitarian corridors.
A new agreement was signed at the Interior ministry on September 26 by representatives from the Community of Sant'Egidio, the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy (FCEI), the Waldensian Table and the Italian Interior and Foreign Affairs ministries.
It allows for the transfer of 1,000 refugees to Italy via humanitarian corridors.
The vulnerable people and families who have the right to obtain humanitarian protection currently reside in Lebanon. They hail from different countries deemed at risk due to ongoing wars and widespread violence.
Details of the agreement
The protocol of the agreement provides for the arrival of refugees in different groups over the course of a maximum of three years, starting from the first arrivals.
The refugees will be staying in different Italian regions, where local communities, associations and parish churches will help them integrate, including by learning Italian, enrolling children in school and helping adults find a job, according to a well-established system.
"It is a sign of hope and peace at a time of grave tension worldwide and in the Middle East," commented Marco Impagliazzo, president of the Community of Sant'Egidio, after the signature of the agreement.
Humanitarian corridors for hosting and integration
"Through the well-established system of hosting and integration of humanitarian corridors, we can give back a future to people and families who fled countries at war and who have been waiting for a call from Europe for months, sometimes for years," Impagliazzo also said.
"And we can show those asking to enter our continent that there is a different way -- regular entries that benefit those who are rescued as well as those who host."
To date, the humanitarian corridors promoted by the Community of Sant'Egidio together with different associations have allowed over 8,500 refugees to safely reach Europe.
The project, which is entirely self-funded, is organized thanks to a widespread hosting network supported by the generosity of many Italian citizens and represents a model of success fostering solidarity, safety and integration.