Syrian refugee families given a new life in Perthshire are settling well into the region an ethnic minority charity has revealed.
Five Syrian families, incorporating 27 people, have made the region their new home after fleeing their war-torn homeland to a camp in the Lebanon.
Perth and North Perthshire MP Pete Wishart visited the minority communities hub at Perth and Kinross Association for Voluntary Service (PKAVS) to receive an update on the work of the multiagency group.
PKAVS, which encompasses the MEAD (Minority Ethnic Access Development) project, have been putting in place the support needed for the families fleeing war-torn Syria.
Co-ordinator of minority communities hub Nicholas Morris said: “Considering what they’ve been through I think the settling in process has gone better than we could have hoped for.
“There are things that are difficult for them to get used to life here, such as the cold, the way things work, and the fact they’ve got friends and family back home in very troubled places which they’re concerned about.”
There have been many offers of help from Perthshire residents, which included one Syrian woman who has been a Perth resident for a number of years and volunteered to act as an interpreter for the families.
Mr Morris continued: “We have had a very positive response from the people of Perth with lots of offers of help from members of the public, churches, and the Mosque.
“The refugees are very grateful and I think they’ve shown a real willingness to embrace life here.
“I think they see it as a new start and an opportunity to rebuild their lives, which they’re keen to take.”
The refugees, who were found accommodation within the private rented sector, were assisted by the UK Government’s Vulnerable Person’s Relocation Scheme (VPRS).
Those supported by the scheme were particularly vulnerable due to torture and violence, as well as women and children at risk or in need of medical care.
Mr Wishart said: “It was fantastic to find out about the type of support and resources that have been given to all of these very traumatised families that have arrived within the Perthshire area.
“The work that has been done to ensure that they’re safely and securely accommodated into the community here is excellent.
“There is an overwhelming sense of support for the families to ensure that they’ve got everything that they require, such as language services, support from education and the NHS.”