Councils drag their feet on accepting Syrian refugees

All twenty-two Councils in Wales promised to accept refugees from war-torn Syria – but new Home Office figures show that only five (less than a quarter) have done so. The news has disappointed charities working with refugees. Carys Mair Thomas, head of Oxfam Cymru, was shocked to hear of the discrepancy between the Councils and told the BBC, “What is stopping al local authorities from welcoming these families?”

The five Welsh Councils which have accepted refugee families so far are: Neath Port Talbot (27), Swansea (24), Torfaen (10), Ceredigion (10) and Caerphilly (7). Anglesey recently agreed to take on ten families over the next three years and last month Wrexham pledged to take 30 families. The UK has agreed to take 20,000 Syrians from refugee camps and offer them homes in the UK, funded by the Home Office. The Welsh figures, a total of 120 families, will only make the tiniest dent in that number. Where are the rest to go?

Probably not to Tower Hamlets, is the answer.

Last September, Labour’s John Biggs put an emergency motion to Tower Hamlets Council. He pointed out that refugees were being mentioned in the news – and went on to ask residents to donate to charities that were working to support them and to ask local landlords to volunteer to take in refugees. The Council went on to establish a refugees forum to give advice to organisations which were taking on refugees or providing services to them.

Perhaps now that John Biggs has no more responsibilities to the Greater London Authority and only has one full time job to hold down he will be able to find the time to sort out whatever is holding up the Council accepting refugees.

Councillor Oliur Rahman, Leader of Tower Hamlets Independent Group, said; “I am disappointed that Labour’s John Biggs is moving so slowly on the question of taking in Syrian refugees. We are a First World borough, and we have so much compared to people who have fled war and are living in refugee camps.

“We are now entering the holy month of Ramadan, a time when many residents of Tower Hamlets will be making a special effort to help charitable causes. I urge John Biggs to mark Ramadan by starting to take in our fair share of Syrian refugees.”

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