White Helmets: Syria

(asked on 23rd July 2018) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the statement on the resettlement of White Helmets by the Foreign Secretary and the International Development Secretary on 22 July, what estimate has been made of the costs to (1) the Exchequer, and (2) local government of (a) exfiltrating members of that group from Syria to the UK, (b) maintaining this group together with their families in the UK for five years, and (c) providing additional security for local communities in the UK given the group’s reported links to jihadist extremists in Syria.


Answered by
Baroness Williams of Trafford Portrait
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
This question was answered on 6th August 2018

In addition to the costs of staff time associated with facilitating the departure of White Helmets personnel and dependents from Syria we have agreed, with partners, to cover the costs of their transportation and temporary stay in Jordan through the relevant UN agencies, as necessary. We are not yet in a position to estimate the final UK contribution.

As with all refugees resettled under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, funding would be allocated to local authorities on a per capita basis, with tariff amounts and payment terms clearly set-out in the scheme’s funding instructions. There is also an exceptional cases fund to assist the most vulnerable refugees.

We take the security of our resettlement process extremely seriously. When potential cases are submitted by the UNHCR for consideration, they are carefully screened and considered for suitability for entry to the UK. We take the utmost care to ensure that those people coming here undergo rigorous vetting.

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