Area is helping with the plight of refugees
Authority has helped almost 50 families in trouble
STEPHEN BARK
South Lanarkshire Council has helped resettled 46 Syrian families since December 2015.
In total, 170 individuals including children born here - have been helped to escape the civil war which has seen almost 13 million people displaced.
On Wednesday, October 30, refugee resettlement programme advisor Andrea Sinclair spoke to the council’s equal opportunities forum about the resettlement programme.
She said: “The families are geographically all over South Lanarkshire. Up to 240 individuals will be resettled in South Lanarkshire by March 2020.
“It is a big learning curve for them and for us. The job is really about thinking if you went to a foreign country and had nothing, what would you need.
“We work with families for what they need us for but the average is between six or 12 months.”
The Syrian Civil War began in March 2011 and the UK began resettling refugees in December 2015.
By March 2020, up to 3000 Syrians will have been re-homed in Scotland through the resettlement scheme which is funded by the Home Office.
Ms Sinclair outlined the process South Lanarkshire’s four-man resettlement team go through to help refugees settle in to their new homes.
She said: “It can take a while, lots of work goes into it. It can be quite a slow process.”
For the 5.6 million refugees of the conflict, the majority are currently in neighbouring countries including Turkey and Lebanon.
For those who are resettled in the UK, the process starts long before they step foot on a plane. Lots of paper work has to be filled out and the resettlement team liaise with the Home Office to find out about the family.
The resettlement team then contact the housing department, registered social landlords and the police to find a suitable home.
Health services, schools and the DWP are all contacted to identify any issues that may crop up.
An intensive two-week period follows when the families arrive. That can include emergency health treatment if any unknown problems come to light.
Bank accounts are opened and benefits applied for so the family have a source of income until they can settle in and get jobs.
If necessary, English lessons are set up and help to quit smoking offered as the cost of smoking in Scotland is far greater than in Syria.
Ms Sinclair said the neighbours had been “fantastic” and that had helped the families settle in.
A number have already gone into employment - including two with the council - or obtained an apprenticeship.
Several have gone to college and university to further their studies and one was named the British Heart Foundation’s volunteer of the year.
The “Syrian Scots” as Andrea calls them keep in touch with each other over WhatsApp and they have been so grateful to their new communities that many give up their time to help out.