Fifty Syrian refugees who have been living for a long time in refugee camps in the Bekaa Valley in northern Lebanon or in precarious accommodation in Beirut landed at Fiumicino this morning on a flight from Beirut. They are families and individuals who in recent months have suffered a dramatic deterioration in their living conditions due to the serious political, economic and social crisis in Lebanon. Among them are 23 minors who, have not been able not attend school for a long time and some people with disabilities.
They entered Italy through the system of humanitarian corridors promoted by the Community of Sant'Egidio, the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy and the Tavola Valdese, in agreement with the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs, which since February 2016 have brought more than 2,400 people to safety in our country from Lebanon. In total, around 6,000 refugees have arrived in Europe with the humanitarian corridors.
The families who arrived this morning will be accommodated in various Italian regions (Lazio, Calabria, Friuli, Lombardy, Piedmont, Apulia) and will be set out on a path of integration: minors will be immediately enrolled in school and adults will learn the Italian language and, once they have been granted refugee status, will be integrated into the world of work. The humanitarian corridors, entirely self-financed (from Sant'Egidio's fundraising and the Tavola Valdese's 8 per mille) and implemented thanks to a widespread reception network, represent a successful model that combines solidarity and security.
In recent days, thanks to the humanitarian corridors, 21 Syrian refugees have been received in Belgium, including some survivors of last September's tragic shipwreck off the Lebanese coast.
