Agenda item

To consider the attached motion submitted by Councillors Jon Hubbard and Gordon King. A briefing note by Carolyn Godfrey, Corporate Director is also attached.

The Chairman reported receipt of the above mentioned motion from Councillors Jon Hubbard and Gordon King worded as follows:

‘Council notes that over 6 million people have been displaced in Syria and over 3 million people have fled to nearby countries; further notes that thousands of displaced Syrian people have attempted to cross the Mediterranean and have died in the process.

Council recognises the Government’s support through the international aid programme and the recent commitment to resettle 20,000 refugees from the camps in Syria over the next few years.

Council further notes the opportunity to safely resettle the most vulnerable refugees through the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Programme.

Council recognises that it is our moral responsibility to do all we can as a Council and as a country to help to alleviate this once in a generation humanitarian crisis.

Council resolves to participate in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Programme; and

Calls on local people to contact the council if interested in fostering refugee children or if there are offers of suitable self-contained accommodation’.

In presenting his motion, Cllr Hubbard stated that he was speaking not as politician but as human being responding to a major crisis; made reference to previous migration issues; that whilst he did not want to exaggerate the issues, he felt that it was a once in a generation matter; that the motion asks for Council to step up and do its part. Furthermore he was proud of how the Council was responding already, commended the Leader for the steps taken so far, but stated that he would like the Council to do more, because enough is never enough in this kind of situation. Finally, he made reference to volunteer efforts in the Melksham community that he represented, which reflected the efforts across the county and the country.

In response, Cllr Scott stated that she thanked Cllr Hubbard for his motion which she fully supported. The Council had set up a task group with many local partners working together to formulate a plan, since submitted to Government, to detail what help could be offered. Cllr Scott emphasised the need to ensure that all those seeking refuge had their needs met, sustainably in the future, with a view to a pathway to citizenship if they wished; it was now up to the Government to respond but that should contact them in the next few days if they had not yet replied,  especially as winter is coming. The Council and partners would then assess what capacity there was once the first phase had been accepted. Cllr Scott thanked the people of Wiltshire who had offered help, and expressed her desire to co-ordinate efforts from the voluntary sector.

The Chairman then proposed, subsequently seconded by Cllr Wheeler, that the motion be debated at the meeting and on being put to the vote, it was

Resolved:  That the motion be debated.

The Chairman invited the Group Leaders to comment before opening the matter up for wider debate.

In response to a question from Cllr Ansell, Cllr Scott stated that 20-30 refugees would be helped in the first phase. Tthe Council had a duty to ensure It was in a position to provide sustainable help to refugees with vulnerable needs.

In response to issues raised by Cllr Oldrieve, Cllr Wickham and Cllr Clewer, and with agreement of the mover and seconder of the motion, paragraph five of the motion was amended to read as follows:

To participate in the Government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Programme and any other such schemes introduced to support other vulnerable persons seeking refugee status.

Having been put to a vote, the meeting;

Resolved

That the motion be adopted amended to read as follows:

1.    To note that over 6 million people have been displaced in Syria and over 3 million people have fled to nearby countries; further note that thousands of displaced Syrian people have attempted to cross the Mediterranean and have died in the process.

2.    To recognise the Government’s support through the international aid programme and the recent commitment to resettle 20,000 refugees from the camps in Syria over the next few years.

3.    To note the opportunity to safely resettle the most vulnerable refugees through the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Programme.

4.    To recognises that it is our moral responsibility to do all we can as a Council and as a country to help to alleviate this once in a generation humanitarian crisis.

5.    To participate in the Government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Programme and any other such schemes introduced to support other vulnerable persons seeking refugee status; and

6.    To call on local people to contact the council if interested in fostering refugee children or if there are offers of suitable self-contained accommodation.

Admin Note: The meeting adjourned at 12:00pm and reconvened at 12:45pm