37 Syrian refugees, including 13 minors, arrived at Fiumicino airport on a flight from Beirut on 27 October and another 29 people on the following day. They will be hosted and accommodated in different regions of Italy, from Piedmont to Sicily. The reception is organised by the Community of Sant'Egidio, the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy, the Diaconia and the Waldensian Board. The refugees are families and individuals from different Syrian cities such as Homs, Aleppo, Damascus, who have suffered a severe deterioration in their living conditions in recent months also due to the serious economic and social crisis that is currently affecting Lebanon.
The families will be welcomed by associations, parishes, communities and individual citizens all over the country and will follow an integration path: for minors through immediate enrolment in school and for adults, soon Italian language courses and, once refugee status has been obtained, help in finding employment. The humanitarian corridors - entirely self-financed and implemented thanks to a widespread reception network - represent a best practice combining solidarity and security. Since 2016, more than 2,300 people have arrived in Italy from Lebanon. Altogether, more than 7,000 have have been welcomed in Italy and other European countries using the same programme.
