{"id":61016,"date":"2015-09-04T14:59:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-04T14:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=212ee8c7f9de6a018f5fd971495168f0"},"modified":"2015-10-08T10:29:00","modified_gmt":"2015-10-08T10:29:00","slug":"news-story-syria-refugees-uk-government-response","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=61016","title":{"rendered":"News story: Syria refugees: UK government response"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updated:<\/em> Updated total funding details.<\/p>\n

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In the first 6 months of 2015, more than 220,000 people were detected crossing the Mediterranean to Europe. Many of these are fleeing the conflict in Syria: the conflict has killed over 220,000 and forced more than 11 million to flee their homes.<\/p>\n

The UK government is taking part in the UN\u2019s programme to resettle refugees who have fled from their home countries, including those affected by conflict or civil war.<\/p>\n

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Syria refugees: find out how you can help.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Since 2011, the UK has granted humanitarian protection to almost 5,000 Syrians through our normal asylum procedures. A further 216 people have been relocated under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons scheme so far. <\/p>\n

The Prime Minister announced on 7 September that the UK would accept up to 20,000 Syrian refugees<\/a> over the next 5 years. <\/p>\n

Aid<\/h2>\n

The UK is the second largest bilateral donor to the Syria crisis. The Prime Minister announced a further \u00a3100 million on 4 September<\/a> and an additional \u00a3115 million at an emergency meeting of the European Council on 23 September<\/a>. This takes our total contribution to \u00a31.12 billion since 2012 to help vulnerable people in Syria and refugees in the region.<\/p>\n

In addition, DFID has allocated \u00a39.5 million from the UK Conflict, Stability and Security Fund to support local capacity and build longer term stability. Our support is reaching millions of people and has saved lives in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.<\/p>\n

On 14 September the Prime Minister visited Lebanon and Jordan to see the impact of UK aid in the region<\/a>. He also announced the appointment of a new minister to coordinate work across government to resettle Syrian refugees in the UK.<\/a> as well as new education funding for refugees in Lebanon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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View pictures from the Prime Minister\u2019s visit to Lebanon and Jordan.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read a factsheet setting out how funding is being spent<\/a> or follow https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SyriaCrisisUKaid<\/a> for the latest updates.<\/p>\n

Helping Syrian refugees<\/h2>\n

Alongside the normal asylum process, the UK government operates 3 resettlement programmes in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): Gateway, Mandate and the Syrian Vulnerable Persons scheme.<\/p>\n

Video: Justine Greening on the response to the Syrian and refugee crisis<\/h3>\n

Justine Greening: The UK\u2019s response to the Syrian and wider refugee crisis<\/a><\/p>\n

Audio courtesy of the BBC World at One<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Syrian Vulnerable Persons scheme<\/h3>\n

Launched in January 2014, the Syrian Vulnerable Persons scheme is the first resettlement programme run by the UK to target support for refugees specifically on the basis of their vulnerability. We have taken 216 people to date under the scheme, which is based on need rather than fulfilling a quota. <\/p>\n

Gateway<\/h3>\n

Gateway, together with UNHCR, is one of the oldest and largest resettlement programmes in the EU. The current commitment is to resettle 750 refugees per year \u2013 usually people who have been displaced for more than 5 years.<\/p>\n

Mandate<\/h3>\n

Mandate has operated since 1995. It\u2019s designed to resettle individual refugees from anywhere in the world if they:<\/p>\n