Waltham Forest has welcomed the first Syrian refugee family to arrive in the borough as part of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.

Over the next two years, SHP will be working with Waltham Forest Council  to resettle 10 families in  the borough. We will be providing a range of practical assistance, from arranging hospital and GP visits to arranging English lessons and supporting access to housing and employment services.  

The resettlement scheme, run by the UK government in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, provides resettlement opportunities for those who cannot be supported effectively in their region of origin, including women and children at risk and people in severe need of medical care.

Tyron Julien, SHP's South London Regional Services Manager, said: “We’re proud to be welcoming 10 more Syrian families to London, and delighted to extend our work to the borough of Waltham Forest. We are building on the success of our resettlement work  in Lewisham and Lambeth, where we have settled 74 people over the past 18 months. As well as giving people a safe home, we are also helping them to find hope for the future.”

Councillor Claire Coghill, Leader of Waltham Forest Council, said: “We have all seen the dreadful images from the Syrian war. It is right and fair that we do our part to assist the government’s scheme and help innocents fleeing an awful conflict.”

This work is part of Waltham Forest’s wider commitment to support refugees, which has also included taking in 50 unaccompanied asylum seeking children.