Joint statement from Haringey organisations re refugee resettlement

We will be marching with many thousands of others on the Refugees Welcome march in London on 17 September to decry the suffering of the Syrian people and highlight the failures of European governments, including the UK, to come up with a robust and just response.

There is also a role for communities and councils to take action, and as Haringey community groups and residents we have been calling loudly over the last year for Syrian families to be resettled here, an ethnically diverse borough whose lauded character and celebrated inclusivity have been greatly enhanced thanks to inward migration over the years. Over 100 local councils have settled Syrian refugees – but not one family has been resettled in Haringey – a real indictment given the level of need and local support expressed.

We call on the Government to relocate many more than the 20,000 refugees it has so far pledged to bring to the UK, and we urge Haringey Council to work with local residents and community groups to prepare to welcome Syrian refugees into our community straight away.

Oktay Sahbaz, Secretary, Day-mer Turkish and Kurdish Community Centre

Lucy Craig, Secretary, Haringey Green Party

Vivek Lehal, Haringey Stand Up to Racism

Ahmet Sezgin, North London Community House

Rose Bernstein, coordinator, Refugees Welcome Haringey

Sona Mahtani, CEO, Selby Trust