Italian government and church officials have welcomed 41 Syrian refugees at Rome's airport, saying they wanted to show solidarity at a time when the U.S. is sending refugees away and building walls to keep them out.

The Syrian children were given balloons as they arrived, and a colorful sign reading "Welcome to Italy" greeted the latest group of refugees to be resettled in the country via an agreement between the government and a Catholic-Protestant collaboration.

Italy's deputy foreign minister, Mario Giro, greeted the Syrians and insisted on the obligation to welcome those fleeing war. He said walls, as proposed by the Trump administration, have been shown not to work. What works, he said, is the organized acceptance and distribution of refugees, coupled with economic accords with countries of origin.