On Monday 27 May, 36 Syrian refugees arrived at Brussels National Airport, thanks to the Humanitarian Corridors, a project of the Community of Sant'Egidio, in cooperation with Catholic dioceses and other Churches. This arrival represents a further step forward in fighting poverty and marginalisation and offers these families a new chance to live in Belgium.
Thse vulnerable people - eight families, some Christian and some Muslim - have lived for years in extremely precarious conditions in Lebanon, and have no prospect of returning to their war-torn country. Thanks to the joint efforts of religious organisations, national and European authorities, they can now hope for a better future.
The families will be hosted in several municipalities in Belgium, including Arlon, Brussels, Jette, Courtrai, Kraainem, Liège, Maasmechelen and Malines. Here, local support committees will take care of their reception, accommodation and ongoing facilitation during the complex process of asylum application and integration. This community approach facilitates the integration of refugees into Belgian society, and fosters a culture of solidarity and welcome.
The total number of refugees transferred to Belgium as part of the ‘Humanitarian Corridors’ has risen to 310 with this arrival. The programme, active since 2016, helped more than seven thousand vulnerable refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea and other countries to rebuild their lives in Europe, mainly in Italy and France.
The initiative represents a model of safe and legal reception, and provides a concrete and humane alternative to perilous journeys across the Mediterranean.
The presence of these new members in the Belgian community enriches the social fabric of the country and testifies to the effectiveness of cooperation between religious and civil institutions in combating poverty and marginalisation.
