At its meeting last night (Thursday 10 November) the Council heard an update on the work being undertaken in the area to identify the support available locally to be able to relocate some of those affected by the on-going refugee crisis.
The Council agreed to advance arrangements for the Council to receive vulnerable families and unaccompanied asylum seeking children under the Syrian Resettlement Programme.
Council Leader Rhondda Geekie welcomed this agreement, saying, “We have continued to support the national response to the current Syrian Refugee Crisis and have been looking into what accommodation we can identify – given our well documented accommodation challenges in this area.
“I’m delighted that we are in a position to help with the Syrian Resettlement Programme, with unanimous support across the Council, and we will continue to work closely with our Community Planning Partners and the Health & Social Care Partnership to ensure we have a complete support package in place when our first families and children arrive.
“Widespread support for accommodating refugees in East Dunbartonshire has been expressed by many groups in the area and I’m sure our communities will welcome new arrivals. We must also of course strike the balance of ensuring that those refugees and unaccompanied asylum seeking children who come to East Dunbartonshire are able to integrate into our communities whilst having the privacy to establish a new life here after the difficulties and challenges they have faced.”
A report will be brought to the next Council meeting with further information to inform a sustainable longer term response to the humanitarian crisis.
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