GETTY Syrian families are being relocated into the UK with charities as "sponsors"

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Community groups are being asked to “take a lead role in resettling families” which means housing them for two years, teaching and integrating them - as well as giving them cash on arrival. The Tory party announced the beginning of the “ground breaking” new scheme today which sees Syrian families passed over to charities or companies - as long as they have £9,000 to spare. The Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme has existed since January 2014 to help people escaping violence and risk, but in 2015, David Cameron announced he would extend it to include the resettlement of 20,000 Syrians. From today, those who said they would house a Syrian family, like the Archbishop of Canterbury, can apply via the Home Office to become a sponsor under the “Full Community Sponsorship” scheme. The report states: “It encourages innovation in resettlement that has the potential to promote positive resettlement outcomes, both for the resettled families and local communities.” “You should not underestimate the commitment and resilience your organisation will need to show.” A sponsor will be asked to look after a family from the moment they arrive in the UK with task including meeting the family from the airport, providing housing, helping with English language tuition and supporting them to get work. Responsibility lasts for one year, but two years for the housing side of the agreement. Most of those selected for the scheme by UNHCR will be Syrian or from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. And the Government has warned some may not even want to be in the country.

GETTY Syrian families will be chosen to come to the UK by the UNHCR

It is important to recognise that not all resettled families will be happy initially to have come to the UK Home Office report

Families to be resettled in the UK will be referred by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), which identifies vulnerable people for resettlement in the UK. The report states: “Many will have lost loved ones, friends and family, and witnessed the horrors of war. Some may have specific medical needs or disabilities. “It is important to recognise that not all resettled families will be happy initially to have come to the UK. “The relief at arriving in a safe place will be countered by grief over what has been left behind and possibly survivors’ guilt as well. “This is where community sponsors can help: supporting a resettled family by making them feel welcome in the UK, helping them to adjust and make a new life for themselves, and to stand on their own two feet. The support of a community sponsor will have a crucial impact on the family’s future happiness and wellbeing.” Each family will be granted Humanitarian Protection giving them five years citizenship in the UK, during which time they can work and claim benefits. Anyone hoping to become a sponsor will go through financial checks from the Home Office, and must have a plan for housing or experience looking after vulnerable people.

The Home Office will approve every sponsor. A family can arrive as quickly as six weeks after location is agreed. Those hoping to be a sponsor must be a charity, registered with the Charities Commission or a Community Interest Company, registered with Companies House and one individual must act as the “lead sponsor”. Those thinking of applying must have £9,000 at least to be able to care for the families, which can be made up of two adults and their children, although some could be made up of four adults. The figure £4,500 is said to be needed for each adult while children are not accounted for as they will receive support through education. There are strict rules around the accommodation which must be offered for two years.

Refugees seek peace in war torn Syria Tue, July 11, 2017 Devastating images of Syrian refugees seeking peace on their journey to Europe. Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 53 Displaced people from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing violence from forces loyal to the Islamic State

GETTY Syrian refugees have already been settled in the UK in areas like Bute, Scotland

The home must be available to the resettled family at a cost not exceeding Local Housing Allowance and must have independent access, with “adequate privacy”. A separate bedroom should be allocated to each married or cohabiting couple, adult aged 21 years or more and the property must be in good condition, furnished with cooking facilities and washing amenities. Upon arrival the refugees must be provided with “a welcome pack of groceries, the content of which should take into account the culture and nationality of the resettled family”. Each person, adult and child, must be handed £200 on arrival for “initial expenses including groceries, toiletries, clothes”. Children must have school interviews within one week while a suitably qualified ESOL teacher must be found for “a minimum of 10 hours per week for the first twelve weeks, followed by a minimum of 5 hours per week for the remaining nine months”.

GETTY Refugees in the UK could be taken care of by charities who will house and help them

Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid, co-signed the report. In a joint statement they said: “We are delighted to introduce, for the first time in the UK, a full community sponsorship scheme to empower and enable community groups to take on the challenging but rewarding role of welcoming and supporting a resettled family in the UK. “We hope that this new approach to resettlement will help bring communities together and support these often traumatised and vulnerable families as they rebuild their lives, and contribute to and thrive in our country.”