Twenty Syrian refugees set up home in Brighton and Hove

This follows a call from Brighton and Hove City Council in September 2015 for landlords to open their doors to those in need.

At a meeting on Monday afternoon (January 23), Sanctuary on Sea’s annual report was shared with councillors, who were told that the refugees arrived through the national Vulnerable Person’s Relocation Scheme - a government scheme which brings vulnerable Syrians straight to the UK from the countries bordering Syria - joining a growing community of more than 200 Syrians.

The organisation’s secretary, Linda Beanlands, praised the ‘immensely positive reception’ locally for refugees who had been welcomed with ‘generosity and goodwill’.

Brighton and Hove City Council gave its formal backing to Sanctuary on Sea almost two years ago. Since then nine local schools had received School of Sanctuary status, most recently Fairlight Primary. And the first sports organisation to be recognised as a Club of Sanctuary was also local – Brighton and Hove Table Tennis Club.

Ms Beanlands said: “There’s an immense pool of goodwill out there in the city.”

Labour councillor Emma Daniel, who chairs the council’s neighbourhoods, communities and equalities committee, said: “I’m enormously grateful for the huge co-ordination role that you play – which doesn’t happen everywhere.”

Councillor Dee Simson, the leading Conservative member of the committee, told the meeting in Whitehawk that she applauded the goodwill of those involved.

She said: “When I see the limited amount of resource that’s there and I see what Sanctuary on Sea does – it just shows the power of volunteering.”

The organisation operated with an income of less than £8,000 in 2015-16, according to its annual report.

Councillor Leo Littman said that Brighton and Hove had a history of welcoming refugees, and earlier the committee had been reminded of the Sudanese and Ethiopian refugees who were welcomed to Brighton in the more recent past.

Councillor Littman said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Sanctuary on Sea is doing its job and is seen as an exemplar in such a short time.”

Another committee member, Anusree Biswas Sasidharan, said that Sanctuary on Sea was ‘a beacon of light’.