Syrian refugees on agenda

Councillors are working on a plan to help Syrian refugees settle in the Scarborough area and across North Yorkshire.

Following a meeting with G o v e r n me n t o f f i c i a l s last month, the organisations expressed their intention to work in partnership to play their part in any humanitarian response and to take in their fair share of refugees from the war in Syria.

Whilst the Prime Minister has announced that the UK will take in 20,000 Syrian refugees during the next five years, the final number of refugees that can be supported in each district council area in North Yorkshire will depend on funding available from the Government in the short and long term.

In the meantime, partners are taking a comprehensive look at how they could successfully participate in the resettlement scheme. This includes looking at county-wide mapping of potential areas to house refugees, capacity in terms of school places, availability of accommodation, access to servi c e s , c o mmunity c o hes i o n, financial implications and provision of resources to manage the whole process. A number of delivery options are being considered to determine which will be the most sustainable and effective. We have all pledged to play our part in providing relief and shelter to those Syrians who have endured unimaginable suffering,” said County Councillor Carl Les.