Highland Churches' Refugee Appeal

Wednesday November 4

Inverness churches have appealed for local help in accommodating and welcoming Syrian refugees.

Highland Council is seeking to provide homes for about 100 refugees, who are due to arrive in the Highlands from camps in Lebanon and Jordan after Christmas.

Inverness Presbytery’s church and society committee convener Vivian Roden said accommodation in the Inverness area was urgently required, but that there is “incredible pressure on housing services within Highland at present”.

In a report to the Presbytery, Mrs Roden said that housing is available in Caithness, but queried whether a remote area was the right place for refugees, given the relative lack of services and jobs and difficulties accessing support.

Mrs Roden said that possible sources of accommodation currently being examined included empty military homes and asking Moray Council to provide services which could be hosted by Highland Council.

She also appealed for those with second homes locally, or empty 'granny flats', to consider allowing their use for refugee families.

She remarked: “People would not be expected to give up their holiday homes or other accommodation free of charge. The refugees would be entitled to housing benefit and would therefore be able to pay rent.”

Mrs Roden also said people were needed to provide a “greeter’ service for the refugees. 

She explained: “The greeters would help the new arrivals with things like accessing public transport, where to buy food, providing language help and introducing them to the police, which is important, since their experience of police in their homelands may be very different to our Scottish police force.

“They might advise how to get a job, how to get their children into school, which are the best play parks, even which pubs not to go to and so forth. 

“It’s basically a matter of imparting local knowledge and helping to make the newcomers feel at home. 

“This would not be paid, although volunteer expenses would be met.”

In addition volunteers with vans, lorries or large cars are needed by the Highlands Supports Refugees organisation, to transport donations for the refugees when they arrive from a location near Inverness to a new centre in Dingwall.

Anyone able to offer accommodation or “greeter” advice should telephone the Highland Third Sector Interface service at Dingwall on 01349 864289.

Those volunteering transport should visit the Highlands Supports Refugees Facebook page or telephone Vivian Roden on 07887 704915.

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