This in from Ed Gouge on behalf of the Isle of Wight Labout Party. Ed
The Island’s Labour Party and its Labour Group Leader Councillor Geoff Lumley are calling on the Isle of Wight Council to take urgent action to provide a haven for families fleeing war-torn Syria.
A resolution will be put forward by the Constituency Secretary to the meeting of members in Newport on Wednesday calling on the local authority to both urgently discuss offering asylum to a proportionate number of refugees and to investigate how they can be integrated into the Island community.
It also asks MP Andrew Turner to support this and press the UK Government to take action to address the refugee crisis both at source and in Europe.
Labour Party Chair Deborah Gardiner said:
“We have all been shocked and moved by the media images this week showing in harrowing detail the vast, tragic and shocking humanitarian crisis unfolding on Europe’s doorstep and the worst refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War.
“So far the Government has only taken the equivalent of one Syrian refugee for every two local authorities and I believe we at a local level can make a contribution that, though small in the scheme of things, nevertheless sends out a powerful message.
“This is a humanitarian issue, not a party political one. I believe the Island with its innate sense of community and charity would be very open to the idea of offering haven to a proportionate number of families escaping war and persecution in Syria.
“There would be much work to do in offering the necessary support to ensure any refugees were helped integrated fully into – and make a contribution towards – life on the Island but a first step is to have a full and frank discussion among our local representatives on the IW Council.
While the number of refugees the Island is best placed to accommodate would be a matter for further discussion, the local party believes the suggestion from shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper that local authorities should all commit to taking ten would be a sound basis for that discussion.”
Image: syriafreedom under CC BY 2.0
