Italy, Catholic Church partner to assist 600 refugees

Italy has accepted to take in 600 asylum seekers currently living in Ethiopia, Niger and Jordan, who will be looked after by the Catholic Church, dpa and NAN report.

The Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic aid group, said it would in partnership with Italian Bishops’ Conference sign a new “humanitarian corridor’’ agreement with Italy’s Interior Ministry.

The ministry is led by migration hardliner Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League.

Salvini has said he was not against migration, as long as it was strictly regulated.

The 600 asylum seekers are expected to be airlifted to Italy in the coming weeks, a spokesman for the Community of Sant’Egidio said to dpa.

They are due to be distributed across Italy and offered language classes and other forms of support, thanks to funds provided by Sant’Egidio and the Catholic Church.

Under previous “humanitarian corridor’’ arrangements by Sant’Egidio and others, Italy has taken in 1,600 asylum seekers from camps in Lebanon and about 500 from Ethiopia.