County to house more Syrian refugees
THE number of Syrian refugees being sent to Derbyshire is to be increased by a third.
The county has provided a home for 81 refugees from Syria since November 2016, a number which is set to rise to 98 by April this year.
Now, an additional 30 refugees are to be taken, taking the total to 128 by April 2020.
Caseworker support for the families is provided by Upbeat Communities, a Derby-based charity which specialises in working with refugees and asylum seekers.
Derbyshire County Council agreed to house 30 extra Syrian refugees at a meeting on Thursday, January 10.
The authority has produced a report entitled Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme for Derbyshire which says: “The families who have been resettled in Derbyshire have been warmly welcomed and are making a contribution to their local communities.
“When compared to national and regional figures, the families in Derbyshire are achieving better outcomes. For example, 20 of the 30 adults resettled are regularly volunteering in a variety of roles, all families are involved in local groups, three individuals are now in work, including one of the September 2018 arrivals, and all have agreed that Syrian citizens walk in front of buildings destroyed during a battle in their country’s bitter civil war their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well.”
In May 2016, the county council set up two job roles to co-ordinate placements and support, these are now set to be extended up until March 2022.
In September 2015, the Prime Minister announced that the UK would accept 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020.
Government funding is available for a five-year period to support families resettled under the scheme. This is paid on a sliding scale, from £8,520 in year one to £1,000 in year five.
The report says: “This will enable the council to continue to support the existing families in Derbyshire and take care of the arrival preparations and subsequent arrangements for future families.” It reiterates that the experience seen by the families housed in the first 24 months is that of an improving situation and positive reception from local communities. Refugees will be taken directly from camps in the countries neighbouring Syria through a controlled form process via the Home Office and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Priority is being given to people who cannot continue to live safely in their own country. These include women, children and young people at risk, people in severe need of medical care, survivors of torture and violence, refugees with medical needs or disabilities and people at risk due to their sexual orientation.
Refugees will be granted a fiveyear humanitarian protection visa. This will allow them to apply for jobs and any welfare benefits they may be entitled to in the same way as other Derbyshire residents, including healthcare and access to education.
In addition, Derbyshire County Council has signed up to the National Transfer Scheme, which means it will accept up to 97 unaccompanied and asylum-seeking refugee children from areas such as Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea. Report
The families who have been resettled in Derbyshire have been warmly welcomed.