ELMBRIDGE COUNCIL COMMITS TO WELCOMING REFUGEE FAMILIES
2 October 2016
Elmbridge CAN is pleased that Elmbridge Borough Council has made a commitment to resettle vulnerable refugee families under the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme (SVRP).
Elmbridge CAN is pleased that Elmbridge Borough Council has made a commitment to resettle vulnerable refugee families under the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme (SVRP).
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At a recent Cabinet meeting, Councillors passed a motion for Elmbridge to provide support to between 5 and 15 families over the next five years.
Opting into this scheme means that Elmbridge will help to fulfil the former Prime Minister’s pledge, to resettle 20,000 refugees in the UK by 2020. Elmbridge is the seventh Borough in Surrey* to make this decision and follows behind Mole Valley’s commitment to resettle up to 25 refugee families, and Woking Borough’s bold commitment to resettle 60 families. The Boroughs of Runnymede, Surrey Heath, and Reigate and Banstead have each committed to resettle up to 10 families. The resettlement of refugee families into Elmbridge is no small feat and the families who come here will have experienced tragic and challenging life circumstances. They will need considerable support from both the Council and also from the local Elmbridge community. However, we believe that the Council’s commitment represents the local community’s desire for a meaningful local response to an international crisis. And we believe that the communities within Elmbridge have the resources and the compassion to help these families build a new life as our new neighbours and friends. * Epsom and Ewell, Spelthorne, Tandrigdge and Waverley are yet to join the scheme. |
Image: Jazzmany / Shutterstock.com
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