Thanks to the Humanitarian Corridors of the Community of Sant'Egidio, 119 Afghan refugees arrived today at Fiumicino airport on a special flight from Islamabad provided by “Solidaire”. Since 2021 about seventy of them had been living in a precarious camp in the centre of the Pakistani capital. A further 50 are relatives of Afghans already in Italy with whom they will be reunited. Twenty-three families arrived today, including six single women with children whose husbands have disappeared or been killed by the Taliban.
Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant'Egidio, together with Pierfrancesco Sacco of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a large group of Giovani per la Pace (Youth for Peace) welcomed them at Fiumicino airport .
In his greeting, Andrea Riccardi, after sharing he had met many of them in Pakistan in the informal camp, emphasised: 'I know that you have fought to the end to get to Italy. Our country has not forgotten you; we have done all we could to get you here. I know that you have gone through difficult times in Pakistan, times of suffering and separation. For some of you, this is an important moment of family reunion. Now focus on staying within the law. The path you must follow is a path of legality to obtaining your full rights.
Overall, the Humanitarian Corridors - organised by Sant'Egidio and other humanitarian organisations, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation - have facilitated the safe arrival of 8,500 refugees in Europe, 53% of whom are of Syrian origin. (Source: ANSA- translation by editorial staff)
