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.
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