Telford set to welcome 10 Syrian refugees
Telford is to welcome 10 Syrian refugees in the spring as part of a government scheme to allow 20,000 people fleeing the country's civil war into Britain.
Telford & Wrekin Council is also expecting to accommodate unaccompanied children into its care who are already in the UK.
The announcement comes after Shropshire Council revealed 10 refugee families it is accommodating will be based in Oswestry and Shrewsbury.
The Syrian refugee resettlement programme will be fully funded by Whitehall.
Council bosses in Telford say they have already received a number of offers of support from people in the town, including accommodation, translation services, language tuition, clothing and bedding.
A Telford & Wrekin Syrian Refugee Multi Agency Steering Group has been set up and met for the first time last month. It includes council officers, health bosses, the emergency services and schools.
The first meeting looked at developing a basic welcome guide for refugees to help them resettle in the UK, with another meeting scheduled for March.
Councillor Angela McClements, Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet member for communities, said: "Telford is a diverse and vibrant community with a long history of welcoming those in need to our borough.
"In this instance, we have a clear humanitarian duty to support the government's programme.
"Along with other local authorities, we have been invited by the West Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership to a regional meeting with Richard Harrington MP, the parliamentary under secretary of state for Syrian Refugees, to discuss the programme.
"We have been absolutely clear we will welcome our fair share of refugees but we will be seeking further assurances that the scheme will be fully funded centrally.
"The scale and nature of the migration crisis that is being faced by the European Union means that the situation is very fluid so we will continue to keep our community updated on how the programme will be implemented going forward."
