Syria - council agrees to help refugees

The motion below, put forward by councillors Hubbard and King, was approved by Wiltshire Councill almost unanimously:

"Council notes that over 6 million people have been displaced in Syria and over 3 million people have fled to nearby countries; further notes that thousands of displaced Syrian people have attempted to cross the Mediterranean and have died in the process.

Council recognises the Government's support through the international aid programme and the recent commitment to resettle 20,000 refugees from the camps in Syria over the next few years.

Council further notes the opportunity to safely resettle the most vulnerable refugees through the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Programme.

Council recognises that it is our moral responsibility to do all we can as a Council and as a country to help to alleviate this once in a generation humanitarian crisis.

Council resolves to participate in the Government's Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Programme; and any other such schemes introduced to support other vulnerable persons seeking refugee status, and calls on local people to contact the council if interested in fostering refugee children or if there are offers of suitable self-contained accommodation".