Refugee students arrive in Italy on university corridor

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 13 - A first group of refugee students living in six African countries landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on Friday under the University Corridors for Refugees - UNICORE programme to begin a two-year master's degree in Italy.
    This year in total 51 students - 11 women and 40 men - living in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe will arrive in Italy under the programme coordinated by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to study at 32 Italian universities on grants awarded on the basis of merit and motivation.
    Since its inception in 2019, UNICORE has so far involved a total of 41 universities that have made over 200 study grants available to refugee students living in third countries over five years.
    The project involves the collaboration of the Italian interior and foreign ministries and a number of civil society partners and local organisations, which provide support to the students in their academic and social integration and inclusion.
    "The arrival today of these refugee students who have been given the opportunity to travel in safety and dignity is a concrete expression of an alternative to dangerous journeys in the hands of traffickers," said UNHCR Representative to Italy, the Holy See and San Marino Chiara Cardoletti.
    "The growth of the UNICORE project, made possible by the convinced support of Italian universities, shows that the expansion of safe and regular pathways is possible and must be a priority," she added.
    Roughly 76% of the global refugee population lives in developing countries where opportunities to rebuild their future in dignity are often absent.
    At global level, only 6% of refugees have access to higher education compared to 38% of the non-refugee population.
    Through the UNICORE project, UNHCR aims to ensure that refugees have real access to education and employment pathways in line with their skills, aspirations and talents without having to undertake dangerous journeys by sea or by land. (ANSA).