An award that is about people
Once again this year, Cangioli Group is among the companies recognised by UNHCR Italy with the We Welcome. Working for Refugee Integration Logo, awarded to businesses that have distinguished themselves by supporting the professional and social inclusion of refugees.
Receiving this recognition again is a source of great satisfaction for us. Above all, it confirms the value of a journey that puts people, their skills and the opportunity to build new possibilities together at its heart.
“Receiving the We Welcome Logo again this year makes us proud, because it recognises a commitment rooted in the values we believe in: respect, dignity and inclusion. Work can represent a new beginning, and we feel a responsibility to help make that possible.”
UNHCR’s Welcome programme
Launched in 2017 by UNHCR Italy, the Welcome. Working for Refugee Integration programme promotes the integration of refugees into the labour market through the involvement of companies, institutions and civil society organisations.
Now in its eighth edition, the initiative has become much more than an award. It is a structured and shared model of inclusion, in which different experiences and skills come together to generate a tangible impact.
This year, 230 companies were recognised for having activated more than 18,600 employment inclusion pathways for asylum seekers and refugees during 2025, an increase of approximately 15% compared with the previous year.
Since the programme began, more than 1,300 companies have helped create around 69,000 employment inclusion pathways.
A concrete journey within the Cangioli Group
In 2025, continuing the path begun over the previous two years, Penta-Rif, a company of the Cangioli Group, remained committed to supporting the employment of refugees.
In particular, a new team member joined the basket department on a permanent basis through an open-ended apprenticeship contract.
He is a 28-year-old Pakistani man whom we met through a training internship funded by the Tuscany Region. Penta-Rif chose to take part in the project to offer young refugees the opportunity to learn a trade in the textile industry at our production facility.
During the internship, we were able to appreciate his ability to become part of the team, his willingness to learn and the commitment with which he approached this new journey. These qualities led us, at the end of the training period, to offer him the opportunity to continue working with us as an apprentice.
It is a story of commitment, independence and meaningful achievements, both large and small. It also shows how a concrete opportunity can become a journey of mutual growth, for both the individual and the company welcoming them.
The value of an opportunity
For those who have been forced to leave their country because of war, persecution or human rights violations, work is not simply a source of financial independence. It is a means of rebuilding confidence, dignity and autonomy, putting personal skills to use and taking a full part in the life of the community.
At the same time, welcoming different experiences, cultures and skills helps make companies more open, cohesive and better equipped to face the future. For Cangioli, sustainability also means this: creating a healthy, safe and inclusive workplace in which every person feels respected and valued.
The award ceremony is part of the initiatives marking World Refugee Day, which is observed every year on 20 June. It is an opportunity to remember that solidarity is expressed through concrete action: listening, welcoming and giving people the chance to start again.
