A first group of refugees from Cyprus to Italy with the support of the Holy See

About a dozen migrants will arrive in Italy in a few weeks, thanks to the Pope's initiative and the organization of the Community of Sant'Egidio, with the contribution of the Italian and Cypriot authorities. They will enter the reception circuit already started with the humanitarian corridors. The goal is to relocate around fifty people, including single women with children.

VATICAN NEWS "A humanitarian gesture" which will soon mature will be the ideal continuation of the Pope's trip to Cyprus. The director of the Vatican Press Office Matteo Bruni informed that "in the coming weeks" about a dozen refugees will be transferred and welcomed in Italy: It is a "sign of the Holy Father's concern for families and migrants", says Bruni, who recalls how some are migrants greeted by the Pope at the end of the ecumenical prayer which took place in the afternoon in the Church of Santa Croce in Nicosia. "Their transfer and reception - continued the director of the Vatican Press Office - will be made possible thanks to an agreement between the Secretariat of State, the Italian and Cypriot authorities", with the collaboration of the "Section for Migrants and Refugees of the Holy See and the Community of Sant'Egidio ". A first dozen or so migrants will benefit from this opportunity with the aim, in a few months, of extending it in total to about fifty people in similar conditions, as explained, in the interview by Massimiliano Menichetti, Giancarlo Penza, head of international relations and development for the Community of Sant'Egidio.

How did this decision come about? It was the will of the Holy Father, in organizing the trip, to make this gesture of welcome and hospitality on the part of the Holy See for this group of refugees who are in Cyprus. The Holy Father wanted to ask the Community of Sant'Egidio to organize the matter materially, identifying some refugees and then of course accompanying them to Italy in the coming weeks. Now materially how will it proceed? The Pope will not be able to take them with him as he did in Lesbos because he will continue his journey. In the coming weeks we already plan, in mid-December and in any case before Christmas, to bring the first group which will be made up of a dozen people from three or four family groups. What will be the total number of people who will be welcomed? There will be about 50 people and most of them will be variously composed family groups including some single women with children. Is this technically a relocation? Yes, this is a relocation, a "relocation" as they say in the English technical term. It is a relocation that will be carried out in Italy by the Community of Sant'Egidio with the economic and financial assistance of the Holy See. Once in Italy, the places where these refugees will be welcomed will be chosen together with the Holy See and then the integration process will start, which will certainly last until they have obtained political asylum, for a total of one year. We believe that as we have done for the humanitarian corridors in the past also for this operation, this group of refugees will be able to be autonomous and independent one year after their reception, certainly if the integration process is successful as we believe it will be.

TRANSLATED FROM: ITALIAN TO ENGLISH: https://www.vaticannews.va/it/papa/news/2021-12/papa-francesco-cipro-accoglienza-migranti-vaticano.html