Brighton and Hove has welcomed 69 Syrian refugees, latest data reveals.

Figures from the House of Commons Library shows that, by the end of March, the city had resettled 0.3 per cent of people resettled through the vulnerable persons resettlement scheme (VPRS) in the UK.

According to latest population estimates, that means Syrian refugees make up just two in every 10,000 residents of the city.

Neighbouring Worthing has housed 26, with 52 refugees being resettled in Eastbourne.

The figures come amid government plans to resettle 20,000 people from Afghanistan, following the Taliban takeover of the country.

The Afghan citizens’ resettlement scheme will welcome up to 5,000 people fleeing persecution from the country in its first year.

Afghan nationals admitted through the scheme will be offered the chance to settle in the UK permanently, with priority will be given to women and girls, as well as religious and other minorities, amid fears of human rights abuses at the hands of the new regime.

The new programme will be modelled on the VPRS, which saw 20,000 Syrian nationals resettled across the UK between 2014 and 2021. Refugees escaping the civil war in the country received full rights to live and work, were provided with housing and support, as well as help to integrate into their new communities.

Chief executive at the Refugee Council Enver Solomon said: “Councils need to be able to make plans with the assurance that all the resources they require are provided by central government.

“The Syrian scheme was a success because of long-term careful planning and collaboration with local areas and agencies, and it will be critical for the same thing to happen given the challenges councils are facing as a result of the pandemic and overall financial pressures.”

However, Tim Noar Hilton, chief executive of Refugee Action, expressed concern that the scheme does not go far enough and urged the government to double its first year target, as many will attempt to reach safety through less regular routes.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Phelim Mac Cafferty announced his support for the new scheme for Afghan refugees last week and said that the city has a “proud history of solidarity and welcome for refugees.”

Taliban forces took control of the Afghan capital Kabul on August 15, with a huge effort underway to evacuate refugees out of the country by the end of the month.

Defence secretary Ben Wallace told the BBC that, whilst the UK’s focus is to support as many people as possible before the August 31 deadline, “the scale of the challenge means not everyone will get out.”

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