The Youth for Peace from several cities in north-eastern Italy (Padua, Treviso, Parma, Bologna, Trieste, Trento and Mestre) have gathered in Trieste to bring solidarity to migrants who arrived via the Balkan route. The initiative involved more than one hundred people living in precarious conditions in abandoned buildings in the outskirts of Trieste, the areas of Porto Vecchio and the Camposacro camp.
‘Friendship meals’ have been organised for several days in the Sant'Egidio premises, and offered not only hot meals, but also opportunities for meeting, dialogue and celebration. An Italian language course has been activated for the migrants in the Camposacro camp, crucial for their integration.
Most of the migrants are very young and come from Asian and Middle Eastern countries: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. Meeting young people, often of the same age, encourages them to speak about the long and dangerous journey that brought them to Italy, with the hope of a peaceful future, of a dignified job, of peace. These days are a positive first experience: the friendly welcome received has helped many feel safe at last
