A group of 97 Afghan refugees has arrived in Rome this morning, as part of the Humanitarian Corridors programme implemented by the Community of Sant'Egidio, Caritas Italiana (on behalf of the CEI), FCEI (Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy) and the Waldensian Table, on the basis of the protocols signed with the Italian government in November 2021, for a total of 1,200 people who fled Afghanistan and have been welcomed in Italy by churches and civil society.
"In a time when wars and their tragic consequences are forgotten, we have not forgotten the suffering of Afghans," said the president of the Community of Sant'Egidio, Marco Impagliazzo. "Today a new life begins for many families, safe in Italy, thanks to the humanitarian corridors. It is the result of the virtuous collaboration of institutions and civil society that shows how it is possible to save lives, welcome and integrate. Today's arrival completes the reception quota established for Sant'Egidio in the protocol signed on 4 November 2021 with the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs. Our Community is ready to welcome other people and we hope that the institutions will extend the protocol, so as to respond to the suffering, in particular, of so many Afghan women".
The Afghan citizens who arrived will be hosted in various dioceses, churches, communities, from North to South, and in particular in Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Lazio, Apulia and Calabria. They are family groups and single persons, some of whom are now reuniting in Italy with relatives who have been living in our country for some time.
