Significant step forward

It is a few weeks since we posted any news. During this time we have been working to move matters forward.

The current situation is that Worcestershire County Council has committed to resettling 12 vulnerable Syrian families this year. It is expected that they will start to arrive in July. There is the possibility of resettlement continuing over the next four years.

This marks a significant step forward. We appreciate that several councillors from Worcestershire County Council and Malvern Hills District Council have shown the courage of their convictions by working to achieve this. Resettling vulnerable refugee families can be a complex process and it is something new for our area.

We do not yet know in which areas of Worcestershire the families will be
placed. The main point is that some families will be removed from the danger of refugee camps and brought to a place of safety. We continue to make the case for bringing some of these families to Malvern.

As Malvern Welcomes is already a well-established resettlement group, with a large number of people from the community offering to support the families, Malvern would be a sensible choice.Worcestershire County Council has started the process of looking to commission an organisation to provide Refugee Integration and Independence in Worcestershire. Malvern Welcomes, as well as Bromsgrove, Redditich and Wyre Forest Welcome Groups, attended a recent meeting at County Hall. The council positively acknowledges our work and wishes us to work in partnership with whichever organisation is given the contract. This will be decided in mid-May, after which preparations will be made to receive the families.

We will let you know as soon as we have more news.