The conflicts in Iraq and Syria have created an unprecedented refugee crisis in the Middle East.There are now more than 3 million refugees from Syria alone – greater than the total population of Wales! We can be proud that the United Kingdom is providing a great deal of aid to those in the refugee camps, but we should be ashamed of how we have responded to the United Nations’ urgent appeal for safe countries to resettle 130,000 of the most vulnerable refugees who are not safe even in the camps and have no sustainable future in the area. This is a tiny fraction of the total refugee population (most of whom are being hosted in their millions by much poorer countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey) yet the United Kingdom has been very reluctant to offer resettlement opportunities, and so far has resettled less than a hundred people from Syria through the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Programme. By contrast, Germany has pledged to take in 20,000 Syrian refugees, Austria 1,500 and Sweden 1,200. We believe it is time that we do what can to act locally in the face of a global challenge. We believe we have a proud heritage as a place of sanctuary. We believe it is time that we lived up to this proud heritage. Sending money and aid is not enough – we need to do what we can to respond to the United Nations’ urgent plea for help with refugee resettlement, and that is why we are calling on local authorities to offer resettlement to a modest number of these refugees in their areas. We of Sanctuary Norwich stand ready to play our part. Our local members will welcome the refugees when they arrive; offer volunteers to befriend and orientate them; and help them to find accommodation (they can be housed in private sector housing). These are things that civil society and ordinary citizens can do. The United Nations makes all the arrangements for selection, travel and preparation. The EU funds the costs of the scheme for each refugee for the first year. The Home Office handles all the immigration aspects. What we want ask is that the local authorities in Norwich pledge to resettle 50 refugees and then work with us, the United Nations and the United Kingdom government to make it happen.
