Rights of people on the move
We believe that moving is a human right. Every migration journey – in Italy, Europe and the rest of the world – tells the story of people seeking protection, opportunities and a better future.
Every day, we are committed to supporting human mobility: to ensure dignity and respect for the rights of people migrating due to war, poverty and the consequences of climate change. We work in the countries of origin of migration, providing guidance before and after migrants' departure and developing long-term integration strategies in the countries of arrival.
What are migration flows
When we talk about migration flows, we refer to the movement – voluntary or forced, temporary or permanent – of individuals or groups within the same country or from one country to another.
The causes vary widely: war, economic crisis, violence, climate change, or simply the desire for a different future. Understanding how people move and what motivates them to migrate also means developing more appropriate and effective responses.
Our work in Italy
Ventimiglia
Since 2016, we have been present in Ventimiglia, on the Italian-French border. Here, many people – women, men, boys and girls – are stranded, unable to continue their journey to Northern Europe.
Since our arrival, we have developed an intervention that combines legal assistance, social support and, when necessary, the distribution of basic necessities.
We stand alongside people in transit, helping them navigate Italian and international regulations, particularly those related to asylum applications. Over the years, we have seen the routes change: the sea crossing has been partly replaced by the Balkan route, but the needs of people in transit remain profound and urgent.
Our team constantly monitors the situation of pushbacks at the French border, working together with organisations active in Italy and France to ensure that all rights are respected.
Another essential part of our work concerns the local community. We collaborate with schools, promote opportunities for dialogue, and explain what it really means to live and cross a border, to help spread a more informed understanding of migration.
Our work around the world
In the various areas where we operate that are affected by protracted crises - such as South-West Asia and the Sahel region - or by extreme weather events, we support people forced to leave their homes by ensuring they have access to basic necessities such as water, food, hygiene kits and shelter materials. In addition, in some areas – such as the Sahel – we also work to provide displaced people with livelihood opportunities through training and the distribution of starter kits, in line with the local market, and educational activities for children.
Burundi
For several years, we have been responding to the influx of people fleeing violence in neighbouring countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo. In these emergency contexts, we provide rapid and widespread support, mobilising healthcare personnel and medical resources to provide assistance in transit centres and accompany people to the designated reception facilities, protecting those who arrive in extremely vulnerable conditions.
At the same time, we work with returnees, i.e. Burundian citizens returning to the country after spending varying lengths of time abroad, supporting their social and economic reintegration. Through medium- to long-term interventions, we promote access to basic services, the strengthening of livelihoods and social cohesion within host communities.
Syria and Lebanon
For years, we have been working in the region alongside people affected by crises and conflicts, particularly Syrian refugee and displaced communities. Thanks to our twenty-year presence in the area, we can constantly adapt our interventions to the ever-changing needs of people on the move, responding to both emergencies and protracted crises.
In Syria, in the Aleppo area, we have been supporting the population affected by the 2023 earthquake since the early hours, providing essential assistance to meet urgent needs related to the destruction of essential infrastructure and displacement, such as the distribution of clean water, mattresses, blankets and hygiene supplies. Subsequently, we intervened to restore access to basic necessities by repairing damaged water infrastructure and school facilities.
In Lebanon, where we have long worked with Syrian refugees, in 2024 we supported the population displaced by the war, operating in the regions of Akkar and the Bekaa Valley. Here, we responded to the most urgent needs of people housed in temporary shelters, ensuring access to water, basic necessities and essential services, with the aim of ensuring dignified living conditions even in the most critical contexts. We also intervened to repair damaged water infrastructure in bombed towns.
Perù
The migration flows from Venezuela are among the largest in recent years and represent one of the most significant emergencies in Europe and worldwide, even though they are mainly concentrated in Latin America.
Between 2022 and 2024, we worked in northern Peru – in Piura, Lambayeque and La Libertad – to support Venezuelans arriving or in transit.
We have strengthened access to basic services, especially education, supported job placement, built protection pathways for the most vulnerable cases and promoted activities against xenophobia. The goal has been clear from the outset: to enable each person to rebuild their life while feeling part of the community that welcomes them.
West Africa
For years, we have been working alongside people affected by migration and internal displacement in several West African countries, particularly Mali and Burkina Faso, where ongoing crises, instability and climate change are forcing entire communities to leave their homes.
In these contexts, we work with integrated interventions ranging from food security – including through innovative and sustainable techniques – to the protection of the most vulnerable, such as women and children, while creating livelihood opportunities to strengthen individual and community autonomy.
At the same time, we also work to contribute to a more equitable and coordinated management of migration flows, strengthening the capacities of local actors and promoting access to protection services. This intervention also extends to Benin, Côte d'Ivoire and Togo. Our regional commitment aims to support safer and more dignified migration routes and to promote a responsible narrative based on the rights of people on the move.
