Programme sees 23 Syrian families given a home in Halton
NEARLY two dozen refugee families from war-torn Syria have made Halton their home through a Government programme.
As part of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS), the borough committed to accept 100 refugees over two years.
The first group arrived in Runcorn and Widnes in early 2017 and Halton now has 23 families from Syria living there.
The Liverpool City Region – which includes the six local authority areas of Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral and Halton – agreed to work together to accept a total of 510 refugees.
The UK has agreed to accept 20,000 refugees by 2020.
A Halton Borough Council spokeswoman said the families are being supported by organisations to find a new life in the UK and have been joining groups in the area, settling their children into education, while the adults have been taking English classes.
Cllr Marie Wright, the council’s portfolio holder for health and wellbeing, said: “Halton is very pleased to play its part in providing a safe haven to people who have experienced such terrible circumstances.
“We have met our commitment to the Government’s programme, but obviously we are looking at an international response to a global situation and we don’t know what the future holds.
“In the meantime we will continue to work with our partners and local residents to do everything we can to support the families who have settled in Halton.”
Halton Borough Council has worked closely with other agencies and groups, and in particular Plus Dane Shap, to provide help to the families who have all come from refugee camps, following the ongoing civil war in Syria.
Plus Dane Housing’s head of supporting housing Mary Newton said: “It has been a pleasure to support Halton Borough Council with their Syrian Refugee Resettlement Programme.
“The team at plus Dane Shap, along with the council officers and community volunteers, have worked closely to do everything possible to ensure that the refugee families successfully integrate into Halton.
“All of us involved, having heard some of the horrific accounts of what the families have been through have been determined to go above and beyond to ensure they feel welcome and a part of our community.
“The families are also keen to play their part in the local community with some ● Home Secretary Amber Rudd ● Halton Council’s executive board member for health and wellbeing, Cllr Marie Wright undertaking voluntary work and donating to the local foodbanks.”
The latest quarterly Home Office immigration statistics show that 10,538 refugees have been resettled on the VPRS since it began.
In 2017, a total of 6,212 people were resettled in the UK – a 19% increase on 2016 – with 4,832 of these coming through the VPRS.
A total of 539 people arrived under the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) which will resettle up to 3,000 at-risk children and their families from the Middle East and North Africa region by 2020.
The latest figures takes the total number of children that the UK has provided asylum or an alternative form of protection to since the start of 2010 to 28,000.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: “As a country we can be proud that we are over half way towards honouring our commitment of resettling 20,000 of the most vulnerable refugees who have fled Syria by 2020 so they can rebuild their lives here in safety.
“Nearly half are children and more people are arriving every month.
“We are welcoming and supporting some of the most vulnerable refugees and I am grateful to all of the local authorities, charities and other organisations that have made it possible.” The VPRS is a joint scheme between the Home Office, the Department For International Development and the Ministry Of Housing, Communities And Local Government.
Anyone wishing to volunteer with Umbrella Halton via Halton And St Helens Voluntary And Community Action can call 01928 592 405 or visit www. haltonsthelensvca. org.uk ●