On Friday 15 March, three Syrian refugee families living in camps in Lebanon arrived at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport in Paris from Beirut. These families have suffered a serious deterioration in their living conditions in recent months as a result of the political, economic and social crisis in the country.
They have been able to enter France thanks to the Humanitarian Corridors promoted by Sant'Egidio and the Semaines Sociales, in agreement with the French Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs. Since the protocol was renewed in April 2021, they have allowed 30 families - 119 people, including 50 children - to reach Europe safely. In total, almost 6,500 refugees have arrived in Europe thanks to Humanitarian Corridors since 2016, including more than 600 people in France since the first protocol was signed in March 2017.
Families will be accommodated in Saône-et-Loire, Vienne and Seine-Saint-Denis and will immediately start an integration path. Minors will be immediately enrolled in school, adults will attend French language classes and, once the refugee status has been obtained, integration into the world of work will follow.
The stories of those who have already arrived show that it is possible to save from human traffickers, and also to establish paths of integration. At a time when saving human lives seems increasingly urgent, as Pope Francis recalled on 18 March 2023 during his audience with refugees who have arrived via the humanitarian corridors, the model launched by Sant'Egidio has seen solidarity grow, thanks to the generosity of many French people and their voluntary and free commitment.
