Syrian refugees to arrive in Scotland by Christmas

Syrian refugees are likely to have arrived in many areas of Scotland by Christmas, local authority body Cosla has said.

The organisation said that councils stood "ready, willing and able to take at least 2,000 refugees".

All 32 local authorities have agreed to support a "coordinated response" to the humanitarian crisis.

But not all council areas may end up receiving refugees due to the complex needs of those arriving.

At least 18 local authorities could see the first groups of people arriving before Christmas, Cosla said.

The UNHCR estimates that 520,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Europe by sea so far this year, most braving dangerous journeys from North Africa and Turkey as they flee the conflict in Syria.

'Unprecedented response'

The Scottish government has pledged to accept at least 2,000 of the 20,000 refugees which the UK government has agreed to take.

Cosla president David O'Neill said there had been an "unprecedented response" from Scottish local government to the crisis.

He added: "A number of councils had already been in discussions with the Home Office about their involvement in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme.

"The last three weeks has seen all Scotland's councils willing to support a coordinated response to what can only be described as a humanitarian crisis.

"For many councils that has seen them committing to taking refugees immediately."

Glasgow City Council was one of a small number of councils across the UK that had already taken in Syrian refugees, with more than a quarter of refugees that have arrived in the UK through the scheme being housed there.

'Safe life'

Cosla said Scotland's local authorities had an excellent track record in supporting the most vulnerable in society and already had effective systems and partnerships in place which makes them well placed to host Syrian refugees in their communities.

But it said it recognised the scale of the task and the need for detailed planning.

Cosla spokesman Harry McGuigan said: "We fully recognise that this is not simply about matching people to houses, and that we must meet the wider needs of people so that they can integrate into our communities and build a safe life in Scotland.

"The response to this crisis will therefore be focused on balancing the urgency of the situation with planning the most appropriate ways in which councils and their community planning partners receive and integrate these extremely vulnerable people."

Cosla called on the Home Office and the Scottish government to ensure the programme is fully resourced so that local authorities and partners in areas such as health, the police and the voluntary sector could put appropriate services in place to meet the needs of refugees.