Cardinal welcomes 162 refugees as Italy establishes humanitarian corridor
December 26, 2017
The Italian interior minister and the president of the Italian Episcopal Conference welcomed 162 African and Middle Eastern refugees to Rome on December 22 as the nation opens a “humanitarian corridor” to refugees detained in Libya.
Italy, working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has pledged to accept 10,000 such refugees over the next year.
The majority of the initial 162 refugees—most of them women, children, and persons with disabilities—will be housed by 16 Italian dioceses.
“Our home is their home, our homeland and their homeland,” said Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, the president of the bishops’ conference.
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Further information:
- U.N. evacuates refugees to Italy from Libya for first time (Reuters)
- Primo corridoio umanitario Cei-governo: in Italia 162 profughi dalla Libia (Avvenire)
- Italy vows to bring in 10,000 migrants from Libya by plane (The Times)
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