WARWICKSHIRE will become home to at least 31 Syrian refugee families if plans are approved by the county council.
Rugby Borough Council has already agreed to find homes for 10 families among the thousands fleeing from war and poverty in their home country.
Warwick and Stratford will take 17 between them, with the rest going to North Warwickshire and Nuneaton.
And a report to Warwickshire County Council’s cabinet recommends rubber-stamping the pledge, which will see the refugees move in over the next four years.
The report also states the families will live in private housing rather than council-owned homes, and funds to help the refugees with rent, integration and learning English will come from central Government rather than local coffers.
Each council will receive £8,520 per adult, £13,020 per child 5-18 year-old and £10,770 per 3-4 year-old for the first year.
This will reduce each year before stopping in 2019 when, the report states, “all resettled refugees will be integrated into society without the requirement for additional support – this has been the experience of other local areas”.
Rugby Borough Council (RBC) agreed to take in 10 households in March.
Council leader Coun Michael Stokes said: “We have developed a co-ordinated approach to ensure Syrian refugees receive the right care package, from housing to social care and education.”
RBC Executive Director Ian Davis added the refugees would leapfrog a queue of 72 local families currently awaiting accommodation.
He said: “Council is faced with balancing the playing of its part in the Government’s humanitarian initiative with the number of socially rented houses not being sufficient to meet existing demand.”
In December, Stratford District Council approved plans to take in 12 families.
Warwick District Council will vote on plans to house five families in Leamington at a council meeting in June.
Warwickshire County Council’s cabinet will vote on the county-wide pledge on Thursday (May 12).
The Government has promised to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over the course of this parliament. 1,000 refugees had already been taken in by Christmas 2015 via 55 local authorities, including Coventry City Council.
