Legal News

Staffordshire County Council has announced that the first refugees to be accommodated in Staffordshire as part of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Scheme (VPS) scheme have arrived in the county, with a total of ten people –a family of four and a family of six – being resettled.

The arrivals in Staffordshire were resettled after months of planning by Staffordshire County Council, district and borough councils and charity Refugee Action, to ensure the county had everything in place for their arrival.

The planning included providing a safe and secure environment for the refugees, with access to adequate medical provision, suitable housing, and school places, if needed.

Staffordshire County Councillor Mike Lawrence – Cabinet Member for Children and Community Safety – said:

“This programme is about helping those refugees in the greatest need, including people requiring urgent medical treatment, survivors of torture and women and children who are most at risk.

“As a county, we are doing all that we can to help – we have been able to welcome these refugees thanks to the huge support of our district and borough councils and Refugee Action, who will be overseeing the arrivals and ensuring they can settle in to their new environments.

“There has been a great deal of logistical details to sort out prior to the refugees’ arrival – and we are only taking those we know we can safely and readily accommodate.

“As county, we have pledged to take 50 refugees initially, so there is more work to be done in the coming months to ensure everything is set for future arrivals.”

National Resettlement Manager at Refugee Action, Julie Kashirahamwe, added:

“Refugee Action is delighted to welcome the Syrian families and individuals who arrived safely in Staffordshire…

“These refugees who have been through so much already – surviving the horrific realities of conflict and violence – and now our dedicated staff and volunteers will begin the process of helping these new arrivals rebuild their lives and enabling to integrate with local communities in the area.”

The Syrian VPS prioritises those who are most at risk and cannot be supported in their own country.

The Home Office checks their eligibility to meet the criteria of the scheme, conducts thorough security checks and works with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to ensure that a full medical assessment is conducted prior to arrival in the UK.

Over the coming weeks Staffordshire County Council will continue to work with the Home Office Refugee Resettlement Team, borough and district councils, housing providers, police, fire, public health and Refugee Action to prepare for further arrivals.

The UK government has said it will accept up to 20,000 Syrian refugees directly from camps along the Syrian border by 2020, focusing on the most vulnerable, such as children, the elderly and those with chronic health conditions or disabilities.

On Monday (04/04/16), the first migrants were sent back to Turkey from Greece under the new EU agreement with Turkey on preventing illegal migrants reaching the EU. A total of 200 people – reported as being mainly male migrants from Pakistan – were returned to Turkey on Monday. The EU has agreed to accept a Syrian refugee for every economic migrant returned from the EU to Turkey.

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