“By providing a place of sanctuary here in Scotland we can transform the lives of individuals who have seen their world destroyed through no fault of their own’ – John Wilkes, Scottish Refugee Council.
The UK should accept more refugees from the crisis in Syria and the Middle East, International Development Minister Humza Yousaf said yesterday.
In a letter to the Home Secretary Theresa May, Mr Yousaf has called on the UK Government to commit to offer more UK resettlement places for refugees affected by the crisis.
Mr Yousaf’s call comes on the eve of an international Global Resettlement Pledging Conference to be hosted in Geneva by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at which member nations including the UK will be invited to offer further support for refugees.
Mr Yousaf said: “Refugee integration in Scotland has enhanced our diversity and communities, with refugees making a valued contribution to our economy, society and culture.
“We have always made clear that Scotland is ready and willing to play its part in offering a safe and secure home to Syrian refugees, and we welcomed the introduction of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme, as part of which refugees are already arriving in Scotland.
“But the number of refugees being supported through the VPR scheme remains small, at several hundred over three years with less than 100 arriving to date. This compares with pledges of 20,000 humanitarian admissions by Germany, 5,600 resettlement places by Australia and 1,500 by Austria.
“The crisis in Syria represents the biggest refugee crisis since the end of the Second World War. Scotland remains committed to offering support and protection to the victims of the crisis and the Scottish Government believes that, given the extreme gravity of the situation, the UK can and should be doing more to help alleviate the suffering and Scotland is ready to play her part.
“The Global Resettlement Pledging Conference represents an opportunity for the UK to pledge to do exactly that.”
Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council John Wilkes said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to stand with the people of Syria and echo the minister’s call for the UK Government to provide sanctuary to greater numbers of Syrians in desperate need.
“We urge the UK Government to adopt the proposals contained in Oxfam’s recent report, A Fairer Deal for Syrians, and sign up to the target of resettling around 9,500 Syrian refugees in the UK.
“The scale and gravity of the crisis in Syria is immense, with nearly four million refugees expected by the end of the year, half of whom are children. These are people who have witnessed and survived unimaginable horrors and are desperately in need of safety and support.
“By providing a place of sanctuary here in Scotland we can transform the lives of individuals who have seen their world destroyed through no fault of their own.
“Scottish Refugee Council and many of our partners are ready to offer a welcome to these men, women, and children from Syria, and to make sure they have access to the services and support they will need to settle in to their new environment.”
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