MIGRANTS, SANT’EGIDIO: NEW ARRIVALS FROM CYPRUS AND PAKISTAN WITH THE HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS
20 African refugees from Nicosia and 11 Afghans from Islamabad arrived at Fiumicino

This morning, 20 people arrived from Cyprus thanks to the humanitarian corridors of the Community of Sant’Egidio, set up in agreement with the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs. Fleeing Afghanistan and the wars affecting several African countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroun, and Somalia, they spent long periods of time in the Pournara refugee camp. Located near the capital Nicosia, the camp was visited by Pope Francis during his trip to Cyprus in December 2021. For two consecutive summers, more than 200 young people from the Sant’Egidio Communities from different European countries spent their holidays in this camp, organising the ‘Friendship Restaurant’, as well as Italian and English language courses for young people and adults, along with educational and recreational activities for the many minors present.

The individuals and families – there are also two children aged 5 and 9 months – welcomed this morning in Fiumicino, will be hosted in Lazio, Marche, and Sicily, and immediately start towards integration through learning the Italian language and, once the refugee status has been obtained, integration into the world of work.

The arrival of the refugees from Cyprus was preceded, in recent days, by that of 11 Afghan citizens who arrived in Rome from Islamabad. Refugees in Pakistan since August 2021, these families, also composed of minors and elderly people, have spent more than two years in seriously precarious conditions in an informal refugee camp in the centre of the Pakistani capital. Because, after the fall of Kabul and the great initial mobilisation, many of the Afghans who managed to save themselves by taking refuge in neighbouring countries are still waiting for resettlement.

Overall, with the system of humanitarian corridors, entirely self-financed and implemented thanks to a widespread reception network, some 6500 refugees have arrived in Europe, of which over 5600 in Italy.