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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