REFUGEES fleeing war-torn Syria could be offered a new life in Rugby after the borough council said it was ‘ready to play its part’.
Rugby Borough Council leader Coun Michael Stokes welcomed Prime Minister David Cameron’s pledge this week to offer sanctuary to more than 20,000 refugees in the UK between now and 2020.
He said: “We are on standby along with other local authorities, housing associations and private sector landlords.
“We will have a better understanding of how we can help when we have more details from the government.”
MP Mark Pawsey said Britain had a ‘moral responsibility’ to help the thousands trying to escape war and persecution in the Middle Eastern country, which has become a stronghold of Islamic State.
He said: “I share the concerns of many of my constituents over the shocking and harrowing events we have seen.
“Britain is a moral nation and we should be proud that we are the second largest bilateral donor of humanitarian aid for those affected by the Syrian crisis, having already contributed £900 million since the start of the conflict.”
But Rugby Trade Union and Socialist Coalition spokesman Pete McLaren described the UK government’s response as ‘too little and too late’.
He said: “The UK must accept responsibility and offer sanctuary to more refugees.
“For months, UK and European leaders have turned a deaf ear to repeated warnings about the magnitude of the refugee crisis we are facing now. The result of their indifference has been devastating.
“They must act now – which is why we have written to Mark Pawsey and Michael Stokes. We want Mark, in particular, to make a stand before the EU summit on migration on September 14, but we think Rugby Borough Council could do more as well.”
Observer reader Ruth Bradley agreed, telling us she would be more than happy to take a family into her home.
She said: “During the Second World War, people pulled together, changing their lifestyles and adapting for the greater good. We should be doing that now.
“It was pure luck that we were born in a privileged society. Neither you or I deserve peace and safety more than any of those people seeking refuge and asylum.
“Hard line politics and austerity measures are cruel, inhumane and are breeding a social environment of intolerance, hate and complacency.”
Mr Cameron said the UK would resettle refugees directly from camps in countries bordering Syria rather than those already in Europe, with a priority on orphaned and vulnerable children.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper had already called on local authorities to take in refugee families.
In Warwickshire that would mean the county and district councils working together – with the county responsible for issues such as education and health while the districts have overall responsibility for housing.
Other countries have also pledged to take in refugees as Europe continues to struggles with the migrant crisis.
French president Francois Hollande has promised to welcome some 24,000 refugees, while German chancellor Angela Merkel said there was no legal limit to the number of asylum seekers her country would take – with 18,000 alone arriving in Germany at the weekend.
