Italy flies in Syrian refugees via air ‘humanitarian corridor’

The first arrivals were greeted on February 4. On Monday another group of 93 flew into Rome airport on a commercial flight from Beirut.

The refugees had been living in camps in Lebanon after fleeing the civil war; they have been granted humanitarian visas.

"I feel happy here but a little nervous, you know, stressed, new life, a new place I’ve never been. My dreams are not that big a dream. I just want to continue my studying, work, have a normal life,” said Mirvat Sayeg, a 23 year-old refugee from Aleppo.

"I saw a lot of good people today and I think it will be a good journey for me to start my career here and have a new future,” added 29-year-old Nakhle Abbpoud.

The project was launched by Italian religious organisations including Catholic and Protestant churches, and the lay organisation the Community of Sant’Egidio.

The plan is for a larger number of refugees to come to Italy legally via the new "humanitarian corridor” by air.

The country’s Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni has hailed the scheme as a model for other countries to follow.

(euronews.com)