SYRIAN refugees coming to Worcestershire will be given a five year visa – after which they will have to apply to the Home Office if they wish to remain in the UK.
The news was broken at a top level meeting in Birmingham hosted by Richard Harrington MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Home Office, with responsibility for refugee,s attended by the leader Redditch borough council Councillor Bill Hartnett.
The meeting heard there were already 1,000 refugees from the conflict in Syria in the UK, many in Scotland.
A further 1,000 places, of the 20,000 agreed by the Prime Minister, have already been pledged by local authorities in the West Midlands, including the 50 designated for Worcestershire.
Under the terms reached by the Government, each refugee will be on a five year visa and will be able to start work right away.
Shortly before the five years are up, if the refugees are still in Britain, they will have to apply to the Home Office if they wish to stay.
