SYRIAN refugees could be settling in Cornwall as early as next March under the Government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme.

As part of a five year resettlement programme an initial two or three families could be resettled in Cornwall.

A multi-agency partnership, supported by the Home Office, has been working together to prepare for Syrian refugee families being resettled in Cornwall. The partnership consists of Cornwall Council – including housing, education, adults, children’s, and localism services, Cornwall Housing, NHS Kernow, Job Centre Plus, Inclusion Cornwall, Devon and Cornwall Police, CSW Group Limited and community and faith representatives.

John Pollard, Leader of Cornwall Council said: “Cornwall has a proud record of being open-hearted and inclusive and we are looking forward to being able to welcome our first Syrian families.

"It is hard for us to imagine what refugees have been through but we hope that they will be able to find a new start here in Cornwall where they will be able to feel safe and free from persecution.”

Refugees resettled in the UK through the Government scheme will be given a full medical check-up and security vetting before they arrive in the country. They will be flown directly from countries neighbouring Syria to England and those families that come to Cornwall will be met by representatives of the Cornwall Refugee Partnership and taken to their new homes.

To protect their privacy, the partnership will not be in a position to provide any details about Syrian families resettled in Cornwall, but we can confirm they will be housed in temporary private sector housing.

For more information on Cornwall’s response to the refugee crisis, including how you can help, visit cornwall.gov.uk/syrianrefugees