Newark to take in refugee families

Refugees who have fled the horrors of civil war in Syria are to be rehomed in Newark.

Two families will move into the town centre by the end of the year.

They will be followed by up to eight more over the next five years.

The town will take up to 45 Syrians as part of the Government’s efforts to accommodate 20,000 refugees from the war-torn state under its Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement programme.

Newark and Sherwood District Council homes and communities committee will on Monday be asked to endorse a commitment to the scheme.

The council says it will use private rented accommodation.

Nottingham Community Housing Association has also agreed to provide one or two units of accommodation, depending on availability.

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum has identified Newark town centre as the favoured location in the district to provide accommodation because it would offer the best support for refugees.

'We should do our bit'

Mr Bruce Laughton, chairman of the homes and communities committee, said the council would aim to ensure there was no disadvantage to the 3,500 people on the district’s waiting list for housing.

He said: “We have deliberated long and hard over this issue and we have accepted that we have a responsibility towards the Syrian refugees and we should do our bit.

“Nobody would like to deal with some of the issues they have had to deal with and we have a responsibility as human beings to help these refugees.

“We are sure that the community of Newark will take these people in and support them.”

Mr Laughton said the first refugees would arrive in the coming weeks and there would be more in the new year.

“They will have all the support they need to integrate,” he said.

Under the Government’s resettlement programme all refugees will be processed and vetted by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in the camps they are currently living in before they head to Newark.

Their political views will be assessed and they will undergo health checks.

Year-long support plan

Refugees who cannot be supported effectively where they are living now will be given priority, including women and children at risk, people in severe need of medical care and survivors of torture and violence.

The refugees relocated under the scheme will be given five years' humanitarian protection, which means they will have access to public funds and employment.

Refugees coming to Newark will live in furnished homes with food storage, cooking and washing facilities.

There will be no provision of other white goods or electronics such as TVs or DVD players.

The refugees will receive support including cultural orientation and English lessons.

They will get a welcome pack of groceries on their arrival and a £200 allowance to ensure they have money to live on while their claim for benefits is processed.

Each family will be given a year-long support plan to help them settle in their new home or area.

The Home Office will provide £8,520 a year to spend on each refugee. An extra educational grant of £2,250 will be spent annually on children aged three and four and £4,500 on children aged five to 18.

Nottingham City Council is expected to provide administrative support to Newark and Sherwood District Council.