Refugee support service backed by council

The council said it would work with other local organisations to make the new scheme work

A new service to support refugees and asylum seekers moving into the city has been backed by members of Plymouth City Council’s cabinet committee.

The Resettlement Support Service will cost about £450,000 a year, with the bulk of the funding coming from the Home Office, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported.

Councillor Chris Penberthy told a meeting on Monday the service could help new arrivals overcome some of the barriers they face such as poor housing and a lack of access to education and jobs.

He said Plymouth had "a long and proud history of accepting and settling refugees and asylum seekers".

Mr Penberthy said: “We are a city of immigration and emigration and we always have been.

“Many refugees undergo traumatic experiences in their home countries and on their journeys to reach their new country of residence.”

There are around 350 people currently living in Home Office ‘dispersal’ accommodation in Plymouth, having come from places such as Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine.

“We have a lot of organisations in Plymouth trying to do the best they can,” he added.

A report to the committee said the aim of the scheme was to "support the smooth resettlement and integration of people with refugee status (or similar) into the community of Plymouth".

The council will work with other local organisations to make the new scheme work.