Eighteen families are arriving in Nottinghamshire today after fleeing Syria.
A total of 81 refugees are being welcomed later and will be given accommodation at an undisclosed location.
They will land at Birmingham Airport and are part of the Government’s national resettlement scheme.
They have endured hardship and suffering
Gedling Borough Council chief executive John Robinson, who has been leading the preparations, said: “The 18 families that are joining us, many of which have young children, have endured significant hardship and suffering.
“Nottinghamshire has a proud history of supporting the most vulnerable in our society and the many offers of support that have already been received is an indication of the generosity and warm welcome that will be offered”
The existing Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme, in place since early 2014, has been expanded, with an extra 20,000 people currently living in camps in Syria, Turkey and Jordan being resettled in the UK by 2020.
The refugees have been granted leave to remain for five years, after which they can apply to settle permanently in the UK.
Syria has been ripped apart by a brutal civil war involving president Bashar al-Assad’s forces, rebel fighters and so-called Islamic State (IS) militants.
Around 220,000 people are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which began in 2011.
Earlier this month MPs voted to extend RAF bombing raids on IS targets from Iraq into Syria.
