MSP Welcomes Refugees to East Dunbartonshire
Green MSP for the West of Scotland, Ross Greer, today (14 November) welcomed the news that East Dunbartonshire Council has finally opened its doors to refugees from Syria. He also congratulated the council on resettling unaccompanied children who had been stuck in the camps around Calais.
The council agreed last week to resettle four unaccompanied children from Calais and to provide a home from four families from Syria. This came after pressure from Ross Greer and others, including a direct appeal to Council leader Rhondda Geekie. East Dunbartonshire had previously been one of only three councils in Scotland to have taken in no Syrian refugees, despite having pledged to do so.
Greer is still urging the council to do more: “Every community has a duty to be outward looking and compassionate by welcoming refugees who are fleeing war, persecution and disaster. It has taken too long but this news is welcome. I know our communities are eager to welcome our new neighbours.
“I have been consistently calling on the council to make arrangements to resettle Syrian refugees. Four Syrian families will be very grateful to their new home of East Dunbartonshire and I know residents will make them very welcome, but councils across the UK have already pledged over 20,000 places since last September. Councils across the West of Scotland have led the way on this and I hope East Dunbartonshire can become one of those known across the UK for providing a home to those in desperate need."