Humanitarian Corridors. An Italian ecumenical mission in Morocco

ITALIAN VERSION

By Nev

Representatives of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy, the Diaconia Valdese and the Community of Sant’Egidio on the road towards the North African country with the aim to open soon a humanitarian corridor for refugees having serious difficulties and vulnerabilities.

Rome (NEV), February 20th, 2017 – Today an ecumenical delegation is leaving for Morocco in order to strengthen the relations to open a “humanitarian corridor”, as already happens for more than a year from Lebanon. The delegation led by the President of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI), pastor Luca Maria Negro, includes the Waldensian pastor Maria Bonafede, a member of the FCEI Council, Paolo Naso, coordinator of Mediterranean Hope – Refugee and Migrant Programme, Massimo Gnone of the Diaconia Valdese and Xavie Vidal of the Community of Sant’Egidio.
Among the scheduled meetings, there are those with the Italian Aambassador to Morocco Roberto Natali, the representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Organization for Migration (IOM), the board of the Protestant Church of Morocco. Furthermore, also scheduled meetings with institutions and associations supporting Morocco and the Catholic bishop of Tangier. “We leave confident to strengthen relations of cooperation and friendship with our Moroccan partners, – said the president of FCEI, pastor Luca Maria Negro, to Press Agency NEV – sure that the opening of a humanitarian corridor from Morocco can provide an important tool to protect individuals and families of migrants mainly from West Africa and that in Morocco live in a situation of serious difficulties and vulnerabilities. Our mission is carried out on the eve of new arrivals from Lebanon which, at the beginning of next March, will amount to about 700 units. It is a very significant result that once again we propose ecumenically to the attention of Europe and of our sister churches”.
The #humanitarian corridors program, launched in January 2016, is held as part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed on 15 December 2015 by representatives of the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy, the Waldensian Board and the Community of Sant’Egidio.