She was one of the fortunate 1,000 people to be sponsored by an Italian organization, Community of Sant'Egidio, who are piloting an initiative to provide an alternative pathway for people to reach Europe in safety and dignity.
Originating in Canada, the ‘humanitarian corridors’ project is now being tested in Italy. A first-of-its-kind in Europe, it sponsors some of the most vulnerable refugees in need of protection and assistance beyond what first asylum countries like Lebanon and Marocco are able to offer.
How does it work?
Community of Sant'Egidio works with humanitarian organizations around the world to identify the most vulnerable people seeking asylum in Europe; whether they are in Syria or Somalia, or in transit countries like Jordan or Lebanon.
The Italian Government has agreed to provide visas for 1,000 people identified through the pilot sponsorship programme. Air Italia has offered free flights to bring them to Italy. On arrival, Community of Sant'Egidio supports them as they integrate into Italian life.
An alternative to smuggling
Over 10,000 people have died crossing the Mediterranean to Europe since 2014. A record 2,814 people have drowned since January alone, following a wave of deadly shipwrecks. Despite this, many people still turn to criminal smuggling networks every day to carry them across the sea.
Humanitarian corridors are a safe, legal alternative to human smuggling. They address security and prioritize protecting the most acutely vulnerable people in society. The project’s success has led to talks in other European countries to replicate it there, including in Spain, Poland and the Netherlands.
“Instead of walls, instead of the unjustly inflicted suffering of thousands of people who are entitled to be welcomed because in danger, this project offers the possibility to reach Italy safely,” said Marco Impagliazzo, President of the Community of Sant'Egidio about the model.
The humanitarian corridors project describes itself as self-financed, with humanitarian organizations supporting the refugees, rather than the Italian state and tax payers. However, some costs are still taken on by the state, including emergency surgery. That aside, the project has a lot of potential.
With the closure of the migration route from Turkey to Greece, more and more asylum seekers are making the dangerous journey by sea from Libya to Italy. “We are witnessing more and more women and minors risking their lives to get to Europe every day,” said Pål Nesse, Senior Adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council. “At the same time we are confronted with a Europe that continues to erect borders to meet them. We must support legal, safe and well-managed migration procedures. Humanitarian corridors are not a complete solution to the refugee crisis, but they certainly constitute an important initiative so more people can reach safety without risking their lives along the way.”
