SYRIAN refugees arriving in Scotland can expect a largely positive welcome and the local authorities taking them in are up to the “massive” challenge of meeting their needs, an expert has said.
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“Using money provided from the Foreign Aid Budget, North Ayrshire Council will accommodate 50 – 100 refugees in our communities over the next five years and help them to settle in”.
The Home Office could not confirm how many refugees arrived at Glasgow Airport on Tuesday.
Further charter flights will follow over the next six weeks.
The Scottish government has assured the public that the new arrivals – many of whom have been known to agencies while resident in camps for many months – have been through “robust and thorough” screening processes before coming to the UK.
Scottish minister Humza Yousaf has welcomed Syrian refugees to Glasgow in what he described as a “proud day for Scotland”. As part of the resettlement scheme, each council is aware of the identities of the refugees, as well as any specific medical or housing needs they may require.
Police Scotland are also investigating a potentially racially motivated arson attack on a Muslim community centre in Glasgow, where the first refugees have already arrived.
As to those who oppose the importing of Syrians into Scotland, The National dismisses them as “tiny collection of bigots”, reassuring itself and its readers that the vast majority of Scots “will, we are sure, extend … kindness and generosity to our new neighbours arriving this week”. I think there are segments of the population that are more apprehensive.
A spokesman said it would be “reasonable to assume” the refugees would go to areas within a “reasonable radius” of Glasgow. Nobody was injured, but the building sustained a few damage.
Police Scotland confirmed that the fire was being treated as suspicious and that hate crime was one line of inquiry.
The pollster suggests the slump in public support may be linked to recent deadly terror attacks in Paris.
MSP Kenny Gibson told the Herald: “The terrorist outrage in Paris last weekend serves as a jarring reminder of the violent and twisted ideology of the so-called Islamic State. And we can’t blame Syrian refugees, who are fleeing atrocities perpetrated by the same barbaric individuals”.
The United Kingdom government has said 20,000 refugees will be resettled in the United Kingdom by 2020 – with 1,000 due to arrive by Christmas.
Elsewhere in Europe, especially following the Paris terrorist attacks that killed at least 129 on Friday, governments are not feeling as benevolent. Half of these refugees are children.
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The flight left Amman, Jordan, this morning and stopped at Beirut on the way to the United Kingdom, officials said.
