“No to investing more in the arms sale than in development cooperation, international repatriation agreements, and humanitarian corridors: we have to free ourselves from this hypocrisy”. Monsignor Nunzio Galantino, Secretary General of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), said this at the presentation of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, announcing the signature, on 12 January, of “a protocol agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the opening of a ‘humanitarian corridor’ with Ethiopia for refugees coming from Eritrea and Somalia, which will receive funding from the 8×1000 contributions”. The CEI Secretary General rejected “the closing of all legal ways to enter our country”, for this fuels “illegal immigration, exploitation, the black market, and violence”, but said he was in favour of “a residence permit for those entitled to humanitarian or social protection, namely young people, men and women who have been residing in CAS Centres (Extraordinary Reception Centres) or in preliminary reception centres for over a year, those who have started schooling or have made themselves available for socially useful works or already have a job contract; those who were able to, or hopefully will soon be able to, do civic service, as well as those who have a disability or a serious condition, or those who are fleeing terrorism or natural disasters”. “Starting again from legality – he pointed out – is an act of political wisdom which should not be confused – let us put it bluntly – with the proposal of nurturing illegality and creating insecurity for both migrants and the territory”.