Britain is to accept a first group of Syrian refugees under its enlarged resettlement program within days, the country’s interior minister has said.
\nHome Secretary Theresa May told parliament on Wednesday that her department was \u201cworking at speed\u201d to resettle refugees and assist British nationals who wanted to help.
\n\u201cIn welcoming vulnerable refugees to the U.K. it is imperative that we have in place the support and help that they need and deserve,\u201d she said.
\nThere has been a public outcry in the U.K. in response to the photograph of refugee toddler Aylan Kurdi, whose body was washed up on a Turkish beach earlier this month.
\nPrime Minister David Cameron announced last week that the U.K. would take 20,000 refugees from camps in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan over the next five years.
\nMay said she knew the British public were keen to know more detail on the numbers, but added \u201cthe scale of the expansion needs careful and meticulous planning to ensure we get it right.”
\nShe continued: \u201cI am pleased to tell the House that we are looking forward to welcoming the first wave of new arrivals in the coming days and are working at speed to plan for even more in the coming weeks.\u201d
\nMay praised the British public for showing \u201coverwhelming generosity\u201d. The government was working with the Red Cross to advise British nationals who want to offer up rooms in their homes, she said.
\nBut, she added, Britain did not support other European Commission proposals to relocate the tens of thousands of Syrian refugees already in Europe among EU member states.
\nThe announcement follows the appointment of Richard Harrington as the U.K.\u2019s dedicated minister for Syrian refugees.<\/p>\n