Southwark Council has officially announced its intention to help 25 families of Syrian refugees start a new life in the borough over the next five years.
The plans were outlined at a public meeting held in Tooley Street on Tuesday, which was set to be approved by the council’s cabinet members.
A statement written ahead of Tuesday’s meeting by council leader Peter John said accommodation for the refugees would be provided in collaboration with The Salvation Army, with support from Citizens UK.
A report produced by council officers on the matter also said that help provided to the first five families in 2017 would be “fully funded by central government”.
“Southwark remains willing to help but with the high cost of housing in London, the Government has chosen to prioritise housing refugees away from London,” Cllr John said.
“We have therefore been exploring ways to make good on our commitment to resettle Syrian refugee households within Southwark, whilst minimising the impact on the already stretched council resources and the local demand for affordable housing.
“I am really pleased that the Salvation Army, with the support of Citizens UK have come forward with local accommodation for families.”
The UK government declared in September that it had secured 20,000 local authority places to offer refugees between 2015 and 2020. By September, 2,800 refugees had already been resettled in the UK.