Syrian refugees to be given sanctuary on picturesque Scots island

They will be given assistance in securing work on the Firth of Clyde island, as well as accommodation via local housing associations.

It comes Stirling Council confirmed it will be welcoming a small number of Syrian refugees before Christmas, following a meeting attended by several hundred residents of the area.

They too will come from refugee camps bordering Syria and be resettled in Stirling, where help and support will be available from third sector groups and public sector groups.

At least 2000 Syrian refugees are expected to be given sanctuary in Scotland in the coming years, with the first due to arrive in Glasgow by the end of last month .

Following talks between local authorities, the Home Office and Scottish Government, several hundred refugees will be flown from camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey and accommodated in Scotland by Christmas.

Len Scoular, Provost of Argyll and Bute Council, who lives on Bute, said: “People in Argyll and Bute are known for their warmth and friendliness, as has been proved by the huge offers of support already shown in communities across the area for those seeking refuge from Syria.

"People on Bute have stepped forward to offer skills and services they have to make the families feel welcome and to help them settle in. This will be invaluable for the families who must be feeling incredibly vulnerable and confused."

The council said the refugees coming to live on Bute had "all been matched to the area because of the skills

and work experience they have".

It said: "The Department of Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus will give the refugees the same assistance in finding a job as any other unemployed person in Argyll and Bute."

Accommodation is being provided by Argyll Community Housing Association and Fyne Homes.

Mr Scoular added: "Our families, and I already feel comfortable calling them our families, are all currently in the Lebanon and, with the agencies working overseas, we have been very careful to match their experience and skills with those in our own communities. Hopefully this should make it easier for them to find employment."

Arrangements are being made for support for the refugees on Bute, including interpreters and help with health, education and housing services.

Alisdair Johnston, chairman of the Isle of Bute Trust, a new group set up to help boost the island's population and economy, said: "Any reversal in the population decline is a good thing, as long as the implications of people from a very different culture coming here has been thought through it should not be a problem.

"For example, we have two butchers on the island who do not slaughter their own meat and there is a good chance that (the Syrian families) will be Muslim, so the provision of halal meat could be a problem."

Johanna Boyd, Stirling Council leader, said the authority had been overwhelmed by the offers of support,

Stacey Burlet, Stirling's director of communities and partnerships, said: “The success of Stirling’s response will be determined by how this small number of refugees settle within the community, and the impact this has on local residents.

"These people have encountered horrendous circumstances and are in great need of support, so we want to give them time and space to integrate with neighbours and community groups once they have settled here.”