300 Afghan refugees rescued with ‘Humanitarian Corridors’ arrive in Italy

ROME, ITALY - JULY 27: Italy has legally opened doors to Afghan asylum seekers who have been in Pakistan since last August as part of the "humanitarian corridor" program. The second group of 300 Afghan asylum seekers arrived in Rome on Wednesday (July 27) using a fresh humanitarian corridor established by the Italian government, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Catholic charity Sant'Egidio and different non-governmental organizations in November 2021. A welcoming ceremony was held at Rome Fiumicino Airport for the second group of Afghan refugees who arrived from Pakistan. Speaking during the ceremony, Marina Sereni, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated that the Italian government has committed not to abandon the Afghan people, women, and children. Marco Impagliazzo, President of the Community of Sant'Egidi addressed the immigrants, saying, "A new story begins for you today. There will be others like you." The first group of nine people arrived in Rome from Tehran on July 25. The authorities stated that the asylum seekers will be hosted in different parts of Italy from the north to the south. In previous years, Italy also received hundreds of Syrian refugees through the humanitarian corridor program in cooperation with the UNHCR. The UN refugee agency said that 3,280 Afghan refugees arrived in Italy this year alone by the perilous Mediterranean Sea. (Footage by Riccardo De Luca/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)