The Local Government Association (LGA) has said it is confident local authorities will be able to meet the government’s pledge to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020.
The news comes as Home Secretary Amber Rudd confirmed that enough council places had been secured to resettle all the refugees arriving under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.
Rudd cited 2,800 Syrians to have arrived by the end of June, with more than 100 councils helping to resettle them.
The Home Secretary also added that the government will pledge an extra £10 million to help the refugees learn English.
Counsellor David Simmonds, the chairman of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) asylum, refugee and migration task group, said: “We have previously said that we were confident in ensuring there were sufficient places to support the government's pledge to resettle 20,000 people by 2020 and the focus must now be on ensuring families are matched to the right placements and that they arrive safely and are well supported.
"Councils have an excellent track record in welcoming asylum seeking and refugee children and their families for many years and continue to work hard to support the Syrian resettlement scheme, alongside all the other schemes in current operation. They have no say over when people will be allowed to enter the UK, but stand ready to help when they do.
"There are multiple schemes in operation for supporting refugees and there are also thousands of asylum seekers who are not housed by councils but who rely on council services.
"Councils will be helping to support some of the most vulnerable families fleeing Syria who will need ongoing support from health and social care services to cope with injuries, disabilities and to recover from the severe trauma they have experienced."
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