ABERYSTWYTH town councillors are calling on the British government to allow more refugees from Syria to come and live in Ceredigion, writes David Lynch.

Councillors also agreed to join the City of Sanctuary scheme, a network of towns and cities which works together to help refugees integrate into society, after hearing from Aberaid, a local group set up to raise awareness and support for Syrian refugees locally, at their last meeting.

The council will now write a letter to the British government demanding an increase in the cap on refugees numbers per local authority.

The town council has also asked Ceredigion County Council to join them in making these demands after the local elections on 4 May.

Cllr Talat Chaudri said: “Ceredigion County Council has been at the forefront of welcoming refugees into the country, but numbers are getting smaller because the Westminster government has put a very small cap on them and not honoured international treaties.“

Lindsey Gaunt of Aberaid said: “Countries like Greece and Italy are bearing and enormous burden for this war, but the Westminster government aren’t doing enough.”

It is estimated that 5,454 refugees have been settled in the UK since the war began, with 327 of those coming to Wales, and 23 refugees have settled in Aberystywth.

The charity Oxfam has argued that the UK should have offered sanctuary to up to 25,056 people since the start of the war in Syria.

Lindsey added: “It’s everybody’s responsibility as citizens to tell the Westminster government that more can be done to help at a national level.

Anyone who wants more information can visit Aberaid’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Aberaid-872829299461833.

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