The refugees who were at risk of deportation from the Greek island of Lesbos that Pope Francis brought back to Italy have had their first Italian class.
The first day of the three Syrian families hosted by the Community of Sant'Egidio was spent trying to adjust to the new environment. On Sunday evening a celebratory dinner was held in the Trastevere neighborhood for the six adults, four children and two adolescents. All have warmly thanked Pope Francis, Sant'Egidio workers have said. The pope visited the Greek island on Saturday in a bid to raise awareness of the refugee crisis and those affected by an EU-Turkey deal to deport many of them.
The pontiff spent five hours on Lesbos with Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, and Ieronymos II, the archbishop of Athens and Greece, meeting with the refugees and bringing the 12 members of three families from Syria back with him on the papal plane as a ''gesture of welcome''.
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