ROME - As many as 70 many more refugees have landed in Rome's Fiumicino from refugee camps in Ethiopia. Their living conditions had been worsening in recent months, and they had been forced into refugee camps as a result of a conflict in the Tigray region. Their safe entry into Italy was organised by 'Humanitarian Corridors', the protocol signed in 2019 with the Community of Sant'Egidio and the Italian state. They have also planned for the further arrival of some 600 refugees.

 The 70 refugees - 8 families with 13 children and 40 individuals, mostly young people under 25 - were welcomed to Fiumicino by volunteers and some family members already resident in Italy. They will be welcomed into several Italian cities, including Rome, Bologna, Belluno, Parma and Brisighella, by associations, parishes, private households and religious institutions, with the support of Italian families who will help the refugees to integrate into Italy, for example with Italian language courses, integration of children into schools and medical care.

  All of this has been achieved through a totally self-funded project with the Catholic Church's "8xmille”, which is an Italian law under which Italian taxpayers devolve a compulsory 0.8 percent (eight per thousand) from their annual income tax return to organised religion. It has also been possible, not only thanks to associations and parishes such as Sant'Egidio, but also to the citizens who have volunteered their houses, time and money. 

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