ROME – Italian Catholics and Protestants have launched a common appeal to show a spirit of humanity and solidarity towards migrants.

 On the International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Italian Christians have taken the opportunity to voice that it is our duty and moral obligation to work together to aid migrants.

 The Community of Sant'Egidio, the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy (CEI), and the Evangelical Church Valdese united their voices to remind us that “We remain human,” adding that “We must change the language on immigration and intervene: saving those in danger, expanding humanitarian corridors, opening new routes for regular entry.”

 These organisations have previously worked together on various occasions within the field of immigration, enabling the construction of the first “humanitarian corridors” for migrants. Now, they have addressed the Italian Government to “expand the humanitarian corridors, opened for the first time in Italy at the beginning of 2016,” in order to foster integration and prevent human trafficking.

 The appeal stressed the need to put aside the “superficial and repetitive rhetoric” surrounding migration and to instead focus on the reality that “there are men, women and children who are being denied fundamental rights”.

 The document also promoted viewing migrants as human beings capable of contributing to the country’s cultural and socioeconomic growth, instead of as potential criminals, highlighting that “A migration policy that does not open new safe and legal routes to access Europe is fatally destined to encourage irregular immigration.”