The minister for Syrian refugees has followed the Prime Minister in thanking local authorities for their work resettling Syrians who have fled an increasingly brutal civil war.
Speaking at an event at Local Government House in Westminster, Richard Harrington thanked councils and their partner organisations for helping to resettle 1000 refugees before Christmas.
The minister also reemphasised the Government’s plans for housing another 19,000 refugees across the UK over the course of this parliament.
Richard Harrington, Minister for Syrian Refugees, said:
‘I am delighted we have reached the prime minister’s target to resettle 1,000 Syrian refugees by Christmas. This has been made possible by an incredible amount of effort and support from local authorities from the southeast and across the UK.’
He continued: ‘There is still a great deal of work to do as we offer protection and a new start to a total of 20,000 vulnerable Syrians over the course of this Parliament.
‘The ongoing support and co-operation of local authorities, NGOs and others will be essential as we expand the resettlement scheme further in the coming months.’
The minister’s announcement comes as local government leaders demand a 'properly funded' national body to help deal with the costs of caring for unnaccompanied refugee children.
An estimated 9 million refugees have either fled their country or been internally displaced since the Assad regime cracked down on democratic protests in 2011.
Photo: thomas koch / Shutterstock.com
