Scotland meets refugee quota 3 years ahead of UK schedule

Scotland has provided homes to 2,000 Syrian refugees, meeting its obligation under the UK refugee resettlement programme three years ahead of schedule. The UK Government has committed to resettling 20,000 people fleeing the war-torn country through the Relocation Scheme which was launched in 2014.

Councils in Scotland were to take in ten per cent of that number and, according to Scottish sources, they have reached the goal three years early. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Scotland is an open and welcoming country and today’s celebration, welcoming the 2,000th Syrian refugee to our country, is testament to that.”

“In 2015, I made a commitment that we would take our fair share of Syrian refugees coming to the UK and the hard work and dedication of local authorities across Scotland has meant we have more than met that pledge,” Sturgeon continued.

I am proud that Scotland has welcomed so many refugees fleeing persecution and war into our communities so they can rebuild their lives here

the SNP leader added.

Those arriving through both programmes are granted refugee status and given leave to remain in the UK initially for five years. At the end of that period, they are entitled to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK. According to The Scotsman, all 32 Scottish councils have committed to supporting resettlement efforts in whatever way they can.

Read: Jordan has spent $10 billion on hosting Syrian refugees

Celebrations, which will be attended by UK Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis and Sturgeon, are planned to mark the milestone and discuss the future of the programme.

While Scotland’s achievement will be applauded, Britain, however, has been criticised for not doing more for the millions displaced by the Syrian even though it has agreed to resettle 20,000 refugees. When the amount of refugees it has resettled is compared to the size of its economy, the UK languishes far behind.

Only three per cent of the ten million displaced people of Syria have arrived in rich countries through resettlement programmes. The vast majority of the five million people who have fled Syria and now live in refugee camps in neighbouring countries including Turkey, Iran, Lebanon and Jordan. There are believed to be more than seven million internally displaced Syrians.