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Coventry accepts more Syrian refugees than any other local authority (8 August 2016)

Date: 08/08/2016
Duncan Lewis, Immigration Solicitors, Coventry accepts more Syrian refugees than any other local authority

Coventry has been revealed as the local authority leading the way in helping Syrian refugees in Britain, after a report was published calling for more to be done across the UK.

To date, Coventry City Council has offered sanctuary to 105 refugees, with Nottingham being the next highest provider of sanctuary to Syrian refugees, having accepted a total of 81.

The report reveals that large parts of Britain have not taken in any Syrian refugees since a new government programme was announced in 2015.

A report by MPs has found that refugees have been concentrated in urban areas and cabinet ministers have failed to encourage their local authorities to take more in.

Chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, Keith Vaz MP, said the situation was “very disappointing”.

In September 2015, former Prime Minister David Cameron announced the government would resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over the course of this Parliament to 2020.

By March 2016, a total of 1,602 people had been accepted under the scheme – Mr Vaz said more needed to be done to meet the target.

In a report on the migration crisis, the committee called on the government to accept 157 unaccompanied children in Calais, who have family members in the UK “as a one-off”.

The report also says that Britain's Border Force has a “worryingly low” number of boats for patrolling the coast – and accuses the EU and its member states of failing to anticipate the scale of migrant flows.

Mr Vaz described Europe's efforts to address the “colossal” refugee crisis as “lamentable” – and said that the UK had “done its bit”. However, he criticised councils which had taken in no Syrian refugees.

“We're very disappointed that huge swathes of our country have no Syrian refugees, despite the conscience of the nation being that people are happy to have them locally,” said Mr Vaz.

“They are concentrated to some very large urban areas – and, actually, cabinet ministers have not been encouraging their local authorities to take more Syrian refugees.

“This has got to happen if we're going to meet the target of 20,000 – at the moment the target looks like not being met.”

Deputy Leader of Coventry City Council and Cabinet Member for Equalities, Councillor Abdul Khan, said:

“Coventry is a proud multicultural city, with a long tradition of welcoming people from all parts of the world and offering sanctuary to those who need it.

“We believe it is right to help people in need – and we are happy to have helped more than 100 Syrian refugees find a new, safe home in our city.

“We are very proud to have been able to help so many – and we are proud of the people of our city for the way they have helped to make them feel at home and a part of our community.

“We will always try and do what we believe is right – and we believe it is right to help others who have been forced to flee their homeland, suffering terrible hardship along the way and who now have to come to terms with a new way of life in a city far from home.”

“Coventry will continue to provide help wherever it can – and I hope other cities across the country will join us and show how communities can come together to offer those in need hope and a brighter future.”

A Home Office spokeswoman said:

“Our priority is to offer humanitarian support to those most in need while maintaining the security of our borders.”

She added that refuge had already been provided for more than 1,800 Syrians under the scheme – and the government was on track to deliver on its pledge to resettle 20,000 by the end of the Parliament.

Duncan Lewis Immigration Solicitors

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