Telford set to Welcome Syrian Refugees
Back in September 2015, I ran a poll on the back of an offer of help that Telford and Wrekin Council made to Syrian refugees. It seems like an age ago, but the latest news is that Telford and Wrekin is set to welcome 10 Syrian refugees in the spring as it prepares to co-operate with the government’s scheme to allow 20,000 displaced adults into the UK.
The council is also expecting to welcome three unaccompanied children into its care. These children are already in the UK. The Syrian refugee resettlement programme will be fully funded by Central Government, and the council has had offers of help from the local community for services such as translation and accommodation.
Councillor Angela McClements, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Communities, said: “Telford is a diverse and vibrant community with a long history of welcoming those in need to our borough.“ In this instance, we have a clear humanitarian duty to support the government’s programme.“
Along with other local authorities, we have been invited by the West Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership to a regional meeting with Richard Harrington MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Syrian Refugees, to discuss the programme“
We have been absolutely clear we will welcome our fair share of refugees but we will be seeking further assurances that the scheme will be fully funded centrally.“The scale and nature of the migration crisis that is being faced by the European Union means that the situation is very fluid so we will continue to keep our community updated on how the programme will be implemented going forward..”
Photo of Allepo, Syria 2012 By Zyzzzzzy – http://www.flickr.com/photos/81399520@N00/8049978198, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21884168
