The Community of Sant'Egidio organised an interreligious dialogue meeting during the Interfaith Harmony Breakfast, in Brussels on Thursday morning, 1 February 2024, exploring asylum and migration policies.
Nicole de Moor, Belgium's Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, outlined key lines of the forthcoming European Pact on Migration, stressing challenges and opportunities. A discussion among participants followed and several concerns were raised.
A main point of discussion was the topic of Humanitarian Corridors, a project of Sant'Egidio in cooperation with churches and religions, which allows vulnerable refugees to travel safely to some European countries, namely Italy, France and Belgium. More than seven thousand people have so far reached Europe safely thanks to the Corridors and started a path of integration. Nearly 300 of these, including Syrians and Afghans, have found a new home in Belgium.
This programme is an example of effective collaboration between the European Union and civil society, working to ensure safe and legal pathways for vulnerable refugees. The Secretary of State promised that this collaboration will continue in the future, particularly focusing on the involvement of civil society through community sponsorship.
The meeting took place as part of the Interfaith Harmony Week, an initiative promoted by the United Nations. Sant'Egidio continues its commitment through other events these days
