Hurricane Irma: UK aid reaching stricken communities

UK continues to urgently deliver vital aid to the victims of Hurricane Irma

Shelter kits provided by UK aid are being distributed in Anguilla to help those left homeless by Hurricane Irma. The kits, transported by Britain’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Mounts Bay, are being delivered to people in need by the Anguillan Red Cross. Continue reading Hurricane Irma: UK aid reaching stricken communities

Scotland welcomes Syrian refugees

One in four Syrian refugees settles in Scotland

New figures have revealed that Scotland has welcomed just over 25% of the total number of Syrian refugees that have arrived in the UK through the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme (SVPRP) since 2015.

Since the SVPRP scheme was expanded in 2015, 7,055 Syrians have arrived in the UK in total, 1,800 of whom have settled in Scotland.

This news comes the same week it was revealed the UK Government has not taken in any child refugees under the Lord Dubs scheme this year, despite committing to resettle 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees from Syria by 2020.

Commenting, Northern and Leith MSP Ben Macpherson said: “It’s excellent that Scotland has welcomed over a quarter of those Syrian refugees who have arrived in the UK, under the resettlement programme, since 2015.

“But more needs to be done – in what is an off-the-scale humanitarian crisis that’s difficult to comprehend here at home.

“A recent all-party inquiry revealed that the UK public would not tolerate the UK Government turning away from this humanitarian crisis if they were more aware of what was happening. It also reported that UK ministers have done “as little as legally possible” to help unaccompanied lone children who have fled war and conflict, which has left them vulnerable to trafficking.

“It’s time for the UK Government to significantly step up its refugee resettlement efforts in the midst of what is possibly the worst humanitarian crisis since the Second World War.”

In a separate development, the Scottish and Welsh Governments have written jointly to the UK Minister for Immigration expressing concern about the treatment of unaccompanied child refugees.

Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities, Angela Constance and Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children, Carl Sargeant sent the following letter to Brandon Lewis, urging the UK Government to take into consideration the views and issues of the devolved Governments:

Dear Brandon,

Thank you very much for the time you have taken to meet with both of us on separate occasions over the summer months. We both look forward to working with you and we wish you well in this new portfolio. With regard to the meetings which have taken place, you have and will be hearing from both of us separately on the issues that were raised.

Both the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government are subject to UK Government process and procedure with regard to s67 of the Immigration Act 2016 (the Dubs amendment); and, s69-72 of the Act (transfer protocol and national transfer mechanism). Due to our mutual responsibilities for these areas in our devolved legislatures, we thought it would be helpful for all parties if we laid out our thoughts to you jointly.

With regard to s67, we have discussed these matters and our experience so far has been the same. From the start of the implementation of this scheme, we have struggled with the lack of information that has been forthcoming from those running this operation. This continues to be the case and we are aware that only a couple of hundred unaccompanied children have been transferred of the 480 placements identified. We are aware of the difficult circumstances that the emergency clearance of the Calais camps led to, and that at present, you are awaiting the outcome of the judicial review which makes it difficult to comment. However, we both feel that overall, the lack of planning and sharing of useful information from coordinators has inhibited our ability to plan ahead. We are seeking assurances from you that steps have been taken or are being put into place to mitigate against a repeat of these circumstances.

We understand you were meeting with your counterpart Ministers in the Member States as a means of resolving the transfer delays and we hope these meetings have achieved a positive outcome.

Separately, we would also like to refer to s69-72 of the Act which would put the National Transfer Mechanism onto a statutory footing in Wales and Scotland. We have discussed with you the requirement for a SI derives from the legal advice that our local authorities have received which describes a local authority’s liability requiring legislative underpinning. We understand this will result in the necessary timetable which allows for parliamentary process and we were pleased to hear of your commitment to pursuing this. We both remain committed to this piece of work and look forward to a satisfactory outcome.

We also note the report of the Human Trafficking Inquiry, initiated by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery, published on 10 July. We highlight statements with which we agree, and whilst we appreciate there is a difference in opinion as to the why and the how from the UK Government perspective, these statements provide for an outcome which we can all support, that of supporting vulnerable unaccompanied children:

‘The inquiry found no evidence that providing a safe route for children to travel to the UK acted as a ‘pull factor’ or encouraged traffickers. Instead the evidence showed that leaving children without safe and legal options left them in limbo, stranded in dangerous and often violent situations. In many instances this resulted in children turning to smugglers, putting themselves at risk of dangerous journeys and of exploitation to pay the smugglers.’

And the recommendation which says: The ‘Dubs scheme’, or Section 67 of the Immigration Act, needs to be open to children in practice and more children need to be included. This will require expanding the criteria so that it doesn’t exclude vulnerable children due to their age or nationality and a revised cut-off date. Most urgent is the quick and transparent processing of these applications. The administration of the Dubs scheme requires multi-agency teams of specialists on the ground where most children are located, including Calais and Dunkirk to build confidence in safe routes and resistance to traffickers.’

We are grateful for the recent meetings we have had with you, to discuss s67 and wider refugee and asylum seeker matters and look forward to continuing our engagement with you on these important concerns for all of our Governments. We also look forward to receiving replies to our as yet unanswered correspondences.

We are copying this letter to the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd MP, the Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell MP and the Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns MP.

Yours sincerely

Carl Sargeant AC/AM Angela Constance MSP

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gymunedau a Phlant Cabinet Secretary for Communities,

Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children Social Security and Equalities

Cc.:

Home Secretary

Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales

UK Government to double public donations to DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal this weekend

In response to the unprecedented public support for the Disasters Emergency Committee East Africa Crisis Appeal, this weekend the UK Government will match pound for pound the next £5 million donated by the public.

This is in addition to the £5 million match funding already donated by the UK Government which helped Britain raise a phenomenal £12 million for the DEC appeal in just 24 hours.

International Development Secretary Priti Patel said: “I want to say a huge thank you to the British people. Once again, the life-saving generosity of the British public has exceeded all expectations with their response to this vital cause.

“I’ve seen first-hand how every penny really does make a huge difference to saving lives across East Africa. That’s why the Government will double donations up to £5 million this weekend to make your money go even further.

“The Great British public has acted without hesitation to stop people dying of famine and hunger. Right now UK funded aid is reaching those most in need with food, water and emergency healthcare. Now it’s time for the international community to step up and follow Global Britain’s lead before it’s too late.”

This new support will double the impact of the public’s own donations up to an additional £5 million and ensure that charities working on the ground can reach even more people in need.

This brings total UK Government match funding for the DEC Appeal to £10 million. The UK’s support will go directly to the Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal and provide vital and life-saving emergency supplies.

The Disasters Emergency Committee brings together 13 leading UK aid agencies to raise money at times of humanitarian crisis in poorer countries. By working together we can raise more money to save lives and rebuild shattered communities.

Donations can be made at www.dec.org.uk or by calling 0370 60 60 610.

£25 could provide a month’s supply of life-saving peanut paste to a malnourished child

£60 could provide clean drinking water for two families for a month.
£100 could provide supplies to a clinic treating severely malnourished children for a week.

UK support to Somalia:

In Somalia, more than 6 million people have no reliable access to food and there are 360,000 acutely malnourished children. All the signs are pointing to a famine as bad, or worse, than the one in 2011 which killed 260,000 people. The UK is acting now to prevent this.
We recently announced humanitarian support for Somalia worth £100 million to respond to famine warnings, on top of a further £10 million announced by the International Development Secretary Priti Patel during a recent visit to Somalia.
This £110 million of UK aid support will provide:
- Up to 1 million people provided with emergency food assistance
- Over 600,000 starving children and pregnant and breastfeeding women provided with nutritional interventions
- Over 1 million people provided with safe drinking water and hygiene
- More than 1.1 million people provided with emergency health services.
Global Britain will bring the international community together in London for a conference later this year to agree future support to Somalia, which is firmly in the UK’s interes‎ts.

UK support to South Sudan:

The situation in South Sudan is dire. Children will die tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that, until the South Sudanese authorities allow food and life-saving aid to reach those most in need.
Famine has now been officially declared in some parts of South Sudan – the first declaration of famine anywhere in the world for 6 years. 100,000 people in Unity State (Leer and Mayendit Districts) are now at risk of starvation.
Almost 5 million face the daily threat of going without enough food and water and 3 million people have been forced from their homes because of ruthless violence and widespread rape.
The UK was one of the first major donors to respond to the UN’s appeal to South Sudan and we are leading the way by making sure millions of people in South Sudan get urgently needed food, water and medicine, as well as longer term support to provide much-needed education.
The UK has announced £100m for 2017/18 that will provide:
- food for over 500,000 people
- life-saving nutritional support to more than 27,500 children
- safe drinking water for over 300,000 people
- emergency health services for over 100,000 people
- livelihood support for over 650,000 people and
- vaccinations for over 200,000 livestock.
The UK is also leading the way in providing support for the region, bolstering help for neighbouring countries such as Uganda (almost £50 million over the last 3 years) to cope with the influx of refugees from South Sudan.
In 2016, the UK’s support to Uganda has provided: food for 650,000 people including 45,000 children; shelter for 56,250 people; blankets, water containers and sanitary towels for 64,000 people; and vaccinated 210,000 children.
The UK will not look the other way while people suffer: the Government of South Sudan must put an end abuses and deliver long-lasting peace.
The international community now needs to step up alongside Global Britain to stop famine spreading and help support stability in South Sudan and the region, which is firmly in our interests.
It is first and foremost the responsibility the country’s leaders to alleviate the pressure on its people, and to stop obstructing the UN, as well as NGOs, who are delivering vital lifesaving aid to the South Sudanese people and ultimately create lasting peace and stability.

UK support to Kenya:

We are responding early and working with the international community to prevent a repeat of the Horn of Africa crisis in 2010/11.
Our support at an early stage has helped mitigate the impact of droughts, saving lives and reducing the need for costly and often late humanitarian appeals.
We have provided 11,500 children under 5 with nutrition.
The Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSNP) – supported by UK aid – aims to reduce poverty and hunger, and build economic resilience for the most vulnerable people in the 4 poorest arid and semi-arid land (ASAL) counties (Turkana, Mandera, Marsabit and Wajir). It covers an area is equivalent to 91% of the UK and 60% of the beneficiaries are women.
HSNP provides small regular cash transfers as an alternative to food aid to support around 600,000 people, empowering people to make decisions about what they need, cutting out the middle man and reducing waste. Payments are made to households and work out at around £3.33 per person per month, paid every 2 months.
HSNP can also rapidly scale up to reach a further 1.5 million people by providing emergency cash transfers to prevent the effects of drought. To date, on the basis of satellite early warning data, HSNP has scaled up support 11 times since 2015, including 3 times in response to the current drought.
All payments are made electronically through biometric systems which are some of the most secure in the world, and mean British taxpayers can be sure that the help they provide goes directly to the less fortunate, not those trying to abuse the system.
HSNP is now a flagship programme of the Government of Kenya, managed by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) as part of the wider National Safety Net Programme (NSNP). The Government now funds over a third (34%) of the programme, having started contributing in 2013. And the Government will be taking on increased costs in future.

UK support to Ethiopia:

In 2017, a new drought is hitting Ethiopia hard. Over 13 million people are currently in need of food assistance; this figure is likely to rise.
Across the country, 9.1 million people are without access to water, and 1.9 million need support to prevent their cattle dying. 3 million children and pregnant women are projected to be acutely malnourished by May. People urgently need access to clean water, food and healthcare.
In response to the continuing drought, the UK has increased much needed support to Ethiopia by giving an extra £11.5 million to provide around 800,000 people with lifesaving clean water, basic food, and emergency nutrition to malnourished children. This will provide emergency nutrition treatment to 25,000 malnourished children, clean water for 100,000, people and will provide vaccination and treatment to 600,000 cattle.
Ethiopia is hosts over 800,000 refugees, mainly from South Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea. New refugee arrivals from all 3 countries will continue to increase.
The humanitarian situation is worsening. Forecasts for the upcoming spring rains are poor, and the lack of rainfall means there will continue to be humanitarian needs, particularly for water and food, throughout 2017.

More UK aid heading to Aleppo

Britain will provide clean water, food, medical care and blankets to millions of Syrians, including those who have fled Aleppo, been caught up in the current fighting and displaced in neighbouring Jordan, International Development Secretary Priti Patel announced yesterday. Continue reading More UK aid heading to Aleppo

Scotland to aid the people of war-torn Yemen

The Scottish Government has donated £250,000 of humanitarian aid to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Yemen Crisis Appeal, which was launched today. Continue reading Scotland to aid the people of war-torn Yemen

Refugees in Edinburgh: some timely information

refugees will NOT be taking up council or housing association homes
appropriate school and GP placements have been identified for refugees
All associated costs will be met by Home Office for first year

This week Scotland welcomed its first groups of Syrian refugees. Edinburgh will be receiving around 100 people over the next year (writes Hannah Kitchen). Continue reading Refugees in Edinburgh: some timely information

‘Amazing’ public response to refugee appeal

Minister for Europe and International Development Humza Yousaf was in Glasgow yesterday to support volunteers loading an aid lorry with urgent materials and supplies for refugees in the Balkans. The Minister praised Scots’ ‘amazing’ response to the humanitarian emergency.

The truck leaves Scotland later this week and will travel 1, 660 miles, bound for Novi Sad in the Balkans, where it will be received by the Red Cross and other NGOs working to aid refugees. It’s estimated materials and supplies will begin arriving at the regional aid hub in as little as 72 hours after departing Glasgow.

16 tonnes of warm winter clothing and ‘Soapaid’ hygiene bars have been kindly donated by the Scottish public to Glasgow The Caring City since the humanitarian crisis began. The soap can combat five of the seven main waterborne diseases.

Mr Yousaf said: “We have been overwhelmed with practical offers of support from people across Scotland who want to help alleviate the suffering of vulnerable people caught up in this humanitarian emergency. Scotland’s response has been amazing so far.

“The work of the refugee task force is well underway. Scotland stands ready to give the very best of Scottish welcomes to the refugees who are fleeing their homes and seeking protection, safety and security but we’re urging the UK Government to do more now and help those in need on mainland Europe.

“The Scottish Government has reiterated its support, making it clear to the UK Government that we will take a proportionate share of the numbers who come to the UK.”

Reverend Neil Galbraith from Glasgow The Caring City said: “Structuring a humanitarian response which meets the needs of people fleeing the most distressing circumstances of violence and conflict, is a skilled and professional tasks. Glasgow the Caring City charity leads from the front at times such as this. We are the conduit between the goodwill of the people of Scotland and those seeking refuge in times of crisis.

“Our people on the ground in Serbia and senior staff in Scotland are coordinating an aid distribution program which links with local statutory agencies, The Red Cross and other NGO’s to ensure that we effectively contribute to a situation which is ever changing in nature and scale with each passing day.

“Glasgow’s charity is matching the goodwill of the Scottish people with the needs of those in their greatest hours of need. Our aid will be sustained and will cover a large geographical area including Serbia, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia and northern Greece but vitally, it is coordinated by our staff on the ground and highly experienced partner agencies.”

People who wish to donate to the crisis are being asked to raise money so that it can be deployed through charities to reach those most in need.

Members of the public are also being encouraged to visit the Scottish Government’s dedicated website: www.scotlandwelcomesrefugees.scot

PM outlines details of £100 million package to support Syrian refugees

UK aid contribution reaches £1 billion

Prime Minister David Cameron will visit Lebanon today to see first hand how UK aid is helping the most vulnerable people who have been driven from their homes in Syria.

While there, as the UK’s aid contribution reaches £1 billion, he will outline the details of the extra £100 million package to help Syrian refugees, including £40 million to be used in the region surrounding Syria.

The £40 million will be allocated to the UN and NGO (non-governmental organisation) partners working in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, including British aid agencies like Save the Children, providing shelter, food, relief packages, health and protection services, as well as cash assistance – giving individuals the freedom to decide how best to cover their needs.

what the government is doing to help Syrian refugees.

Up to £29 million will go to Lebanon – host to 1.1 million Syrian refugees, or over a quarter of Lebanon’s population. The aid will help refugees and impoverished host communities cope, helping to reduce tensions between those communities and lower the risk of conflict in Lebanon which, if it broke out, could lead to more displacement of people who may look to come to Europe. Some of the aid assistance will also focus on Palestinian refugees (via United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), and support to Lebanese municipalities (via United Nations Development Programme).

The new support to Lebanon will provide:

food packages or vouchers for over 250,000 refugees living in Lebanon and the most vulnerable people in communities hosting refugees
relief packages for thousands of refugees, with items such as thermal blankets, mattresses, kitchen sets, fuel and heating stoves, cooking stoves and kitchen utensils
psychosocial consultations for children and counselling for adults to help them work through the trauma they have experienced
child-friendly spaces offering a safe place for children to play, study and spend the day
support for agencies working to reduce the incidence and impact of sexual and gender based violence against women and girls, including counselling, legal services and safe spaces
food, water, relief packages, health and protection assistance for over 21,000 Palestinian refugees
support to help Lebanese municipalities cope with the increased populations in villages and towns.

Up to £6 million will help Jordan – host to over 629,000 refugees, or over a fifth of its population – to meet essential needs and reduce the incentive for refugees considering routes to Europe.

Up to £5 million will also support the most vulnerable refugees in Turkey, providing food and healthcare for those situated outside of the camps. This aid comes in addition to the £4 million announced for Turkey by the Development Secretary in February, bringing the UK’s total contribution to Turkey this year to £9 million. This support will be channelled through UN and NGO agencies who are best placed to respond to the crisis, alongside the Turkish authorities.

The additional £100 million, announced by the Prime Minister last week in Madrid, will be used to provide food, water, health care, education and shelter to people in Syria as well as in neighbouring countries, helping them to meet their basic needs where they are, rather than taking the desperate decision to risk their lives by attempting to get to Europe.

Nearly 12 million people have been displaced by violence in Syria and nearly 8 million of those remain in the country, including many tens of thousands in informal camps near the Turkish border. Millions more suffering from the violence – who are yet to leave their homes – also need assistance.

In Syria itself, working with the International Rescue Committee, World Food Programme and UN agencies, £60 million will be spent to provide thousands of internally displaced people with a range of support including food, water, urgent trauma care and first aid. British funds will also help to provide essential drugs, medical supplies and equipment, as well as training for hundreds of dedicated health specialists and workers in the region.

Of those funds:

over £20 million will go to partners delivering aid across Syria’s borders without the consent of the Assad regime, including £10 million to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) for medical assistance, protection services, education and livelihoods
£10 million will go to OCHA’s Humanitarian Pool Fund to support and build capacity of local Syrian NGOs in Syria
£18 million will go to the World Food Programme, expected to provide over 2.7 million individual monthly food rations
the remaining £12 million will go to organisations providing humanitarian support inside Syria

The Prime Minister said: “As the second largest bilateral donor to the humanitarian crisis in Syria our aid effort is supporting thousands of people to rebuild their lives, providing protection, counselling and schooling, alongside the provision of basic food and water.

“Investment in health, education, jobs and stability is the most effective way to help people overseas, and it is clearly in Britain’s interests.

“Around 3% of the 11 million Syrians forced from their homes have sought asylum in Europe, and without British aid hundreds of thousands more could be risking their lives seeking to get to Europe, so these funds are part of our comprehensive approach to tackle migration from the region.

“For thousands of refugees this money means a meal for their families, the security of a home with basic sanitation and clean water, and for children it means an education so we don’t lose a generation to the Syrian conflict.

“Our goal remains to support the development of a secure, stable and peaceful Syria. Without our investment in international development, the numbers of people seeking to embark on a perilous journey to Europe would be far greater.”

An ‘overwhelming, unprecedented response’: councils ready to support refugees

Online information hub will also be created

The majority of Scotland’s local councils have already indicated a willingness to accommodate refugees affected by the current humanitarian crisis, Europe Minister Humza Yousaf said yesterday.

He was was speaking at the close of the first meeting of a new task force set up by the First Minister to coordinate Scotland’s response to the crisis in southern Europe.

The task force also announced the creation of an online hub to signpost members of the public to information about how they can donate or register their willingness to help refugees in other ways.

During an emergency summit convened in Edinburgh on Friday, the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland stands ready to take at least 1,000 new refugees as an immediate priority.

The operational task force brings together Scottish Ministers, the Scottish Refugee Council, the UK Government, local government and key stakeholders to coordinate Scotland’s humanitarian and practical response. Its first meeting yesterday considered issues including housing, health services, language support and social services for refugees.

Speaking after the summit, Mr Yousaf said the task force heard from COSLA that they have had an “overwhelming, unprecedented response” from Local Authorities in making their initial inquires.

The Minister also confirmed the task force is developing an online hub of resources to signpost members of the public to information about how they can donate to the cause, register available accommodation, assist with lessons in English as a second language, assist in befriending services and direct the public to drop off hubs for donated materials.

Humza Yousaf, Minister for Europe and International Development said: “We have repeatedly made clear that Scotland stands ready to play its part and take a fair share of refugees to help some of the most vulnerable people in need.

“Today’s task force considered the immediate, practical actions we can take to help. In the first instance we are working with councils across Scotland to identify capacity to accommodate refugees, and what services we will need to put in place to support families to start a new life in safety in Scotland.

“It is very encouraging to hear that the majority of councils have indicated a willingness to accommodate refugees – we will now build on this positive response and ensure the appropriate support and integration services are put in place.

“We have seen overwhelming support for refugees through social media and other means – and the online resources we are developing will help to signpost people to information about the practical steps they can take to help. We expect this will go live in the coming days.”

The following organisations were represented at yesterday’s summit:

The Scottish Government
UK Government
Scottish Refugee Council
British Red Cross
Glasgow Girls
STUC
New Scots
City of Edinburgh Council
Refugee Representative
COSLA
Scottish Federation of Housing Associations
DWP
Police Scotland

‘A country of extraordinary compassion’: UK to welcome up to 20,000 refugees

‘this is a country of extraordinary compassion, always standing up for our values and helping those in need.’ – Prime Minister David Cameron

The Scottish Government has welcomed Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement that Great Britain is to give refuge to up 20,000 Syrian people and has offered to work with Westminster to tackle the humanitarian crisis.

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, the Prime Minister said: “Britain already works with the UN to deliver resettlement programmes and we will accept thousands more under these existing schemes. We have already provided sanctuary to more than 5,000 Syrians in Britain and have introduced a specific resettlement scheme, alongside those we already have, to help those Syrian refugees particularly at risk.

“But given the scale of the crisis and the suffering of the Syrian people it is right that we should do much more. So Mr Speaker, we are proposing that Britain should resettle up to 20,000 Syrian refugees over the rest of this Parliament.

“In doing so we will continue to show the world that this is a country of extraordinary compassion always standing up for our values and helping those in need.”

The Scottish Government has repeatedly called on the UK Government to play a part in a co-ordinated European response to this emergency humanitarian issue and has pledged to take a fair and proportionate share of refugees in Scotland.

Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement, Scotland’s Minister for Europe and International Development Humza Yousaf said:

“As made clear by the First Minister at last week’s emergency humanitarian summit, Scotland is willing to take our fair share of refugees to help some of the most vulnerable people in need.

“We welcome the Prime Minister’s shift in attitude and late recognition that the UK has a role to play as an important first step. The 20,000 refugees over five years should not be seen as a cap or an upper limit and we must also play our part in responding to the crisis on the southern European coast line.

“We believe that the UK Should opt in to the EU relocation scheme and while the Prime Minister has made clear that the year one resettlement will be funded from the UK international aid budget, we seek urgent clarification on the impact that this will have on the work of existing aid projects.

“The refugee situation is at crisis point now and stretching UK support and refugee intake over the next five years means a number of people who could be helped immediately will be left without the vital help they need.

“We want to work constructively with the UK Government and the First Minister has again, today, written to the Prime Minster outlining the proceedings of Friday’s summit which focused on looking at some of the practical issues involved in integrating those who come here to seek protection.

“Today, I met with the Scottish Refugee Council to discuss the immediate service provision required to take in refugees and tomorrow I will chair the first meeting of the taskforce which will bring together stakeholders from across Scotland in the areas of local government, housing, health services, language support, transport and social services and will co-ordinate Scotland’s humanitarian and practical response.

“This is first and foremost a humanitarian crisis and it requires a humanitarian response. The overwhelming support we have seen from the Scottish people over the past few days shows our willingness to help the most vulnerable in the world.”