This reflective essay examines Italy’s University Corridors for Refugees (UNICORE) through the lived experience of Emanuel, an Eritrean refugee student, highlighting both the promise and limitations of educational pathways as complementary routes to protection. While UNICORE demonstrates the transformative potential of higher education in supporting refugee inclusion, the paper underscores persistent structural gaps, particularly the lack of long-term legal security and clear employment pathways for graduates, raising questions about sustainability beyond academic access.