The selection of beneficiaries takes place in the various refugee camps, where individuals and families are interviewed and evaluated based on the vulnerability criteria established by the UNHCR and the Gandhi Charity association.
During the interviews, the following is explained to refugees: the framework, process, and duration of the Humanitarian Corridors program, the obligations of the beneficiaries with respect to obtaining international protection, the rights and duties of the beneficiaries and of the host Caritas unit with respect to both housing and financial support, and the expectation that the beneficiaries will enroll in both language school courses and housing integration courses.
Because of the amount of information that must be conveyed, Caritas Italy social workers carry out at least three interviews on-site, in refugee camps or in the places of residence of potential beneficiaries, before the actual selection. The first meeting is aimed at developing the first steps of mutual understanding and at developing information about the interviewees’ particular situations, especially if they have medical issues that may require special attention. During the second interview, social workers describe the project and the path of reception in Italy, and the beneficiaries' documents are verified. The third meeting takes place after the selection has been made and serves as a more in-depth predeparture training session tailored to the specific community where the beneficiary will be hosted. In this meeting, photos and videos of the new destination and possibly also of the mentor family and the host country social workers are shown.
During the interviews for the selection, the mediators, who know the beneficiaries and the contexts of their home countries and who have a significant understanding of the language and life of the beneficiaries, play a fundamental role. The mediators help to explain to the beneficiaries the context of their new home in Italy. The interviews also mark the beginning of a path of psychological support for beneficiaries with particular vulnerabilities in this area.
The program is particularly aimed at refugees with physical vulnerabilities, so medical screening represents an important element of both the selection of the beneficiaries and the identification of an appropriate match with the various available local Caritas units.
