Forty-four refugees arrived on October 2 from Ethiopia in Rome via humanitarian corridors organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio alongside the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) and the Italian government. The refugees have been received in several different Italian regions.
The Jubilee of Migrants, which culminated on Sunday (October 5) with a mass presided over by Pope Leo XIV at St Peter's Basilica, began on October 2 for the Community of Sant'Egidio with the arrival in the morning at the Rome Fiumicino airport of 44 refugees from Ethiopia through humanitarian corridors. The latter were carried out from the Horn of Africa alongside the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) in accordance with the interior and foreign ministries.
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Sudanese and Somalis among refugees
The Community of Sant'Egidio called the arrival of 44 refugees "a sign of hope".
In a statement released October 2, they recalled that "on the eve of October 3, the day on which the Lampedusa tragedy happened (on October 3, 2013, off the coast of the island and which led to the death of 368 people, ed. note) -- some people were saved and welcomed mostly from Sudan, where a terrible civil war led in two and a half years to 12 million internally displaced and over four million people forced to seek refugee in nearby countries including Ethiopia."
The refugees, including 17 Somalis who suffered violence by Islamist militias, were welcomed with festive singing and embraces. Those with family members already in Italy who finally managed to reunite with their loved ones were especially emotional.
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Refugees welcomed in various Italian regions
From the Fiumicino airport, the refugees left for destinations identified by the Community of Sant'Egidio through families, parishes, and associations in different Italian regions: Piedmont, Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata, and Sicily.
The reception network of humanitarian corridors fosters integration through the learning of the Italian language and job assistance for adults and school enrolment for minors.
The program is entirely self-funded and has brought over 8,600 refugees to Europe thanks to civil society donations.
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