Following an announcement from Cambridge City Council (22/10) that it would aim to resettle 200 refugees in a five-year window, talks have begun to take place between Nicky Massey, Executive Councillor for Transport and Community Safety, Chris Philp MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Home Office, and Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner as to how the target will be achieved.

The talks come after Mr Zeichner challenged the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, in the House of Commons last month (11/11) regarding “the bureaucratic hurdles” faced by local authorities who are “keen to do more”, asking for representatives from the Government and local authorities to meet in order to “smooth further resettlement."

The previous resettlement scheme by the City Council resettled 125 refugees in 2015-20. The new resettlement scheme aims to resettle at least another 125 refugees as demanded in the Cambridge Will Act petition supported by the Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Scheme and the Council, with a higher target of 200 refugees over the next five years.

The petition, which received over 500 signatures by mid-October this year, details the 27,000 people living with “inadequate sanitary conditions, minimal running water and cramped living conditions” in refugee camps on the Aegean Islands, an issue which is “especially acute in light of the current pandemic”.

The petition not only called for the Council to promote the reintroduction of the scheme, but also for other Cambridgeshire districts to contribute further. The petition also suggested that council housing could be made available to refugees.

In order to remain a “city of sanctuary,” the petition continues, Cambridge must “commit to working with local agencies, residents, landlords and charities to resolve any barriers to resettlement or support.” 

In support of the petition, Adrian Matthews, Trustee of Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign, added: “The infrastructure to support the new resettlement was important and urged the council to meet with interested parties, including those providing services, to ensure it was a successful operation.” 

A spokesperson from Mr Zeichner’s office told Varsity that the Council “is relying on the government to reopen the Home Office Refugee Resettlement Scheme to allow them to complete their joint pledge made with South Cambs District Council.”

A recent report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration found that the pandemic “derailed [...] the launch of the new UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS)”, and that while the government confirmed on 9th November in a House of Lords debate on an Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination Bill that it would restart refugee resettlement “as soon as possible”, it “gave no indication of when this might be.”

The statement continued: “they [Counsellor Nicky Massey and Daniel Zeichner] discussed with the Minister [Chris Philp] new challenges relating to Covid and assured him that the council can put appropriate safeguards in place to deliver a Covid-19 safe resettlement, including providing instructions in relevant languages on Covid-19 regulations before arrival and on arrival, demonstrating social distancing whilst signing tenancy agreements and providing food parcels for the quarantine period.”

Councillor Massey commented that while “there isn’t currently a very active refugee resettlement program”, the Government “anticipate new legislation next year and in the meantime promised to work with us under the current arrangements, and confirmed that funding will continue to be available.”

Meanwhile, Zeichner added that he was proud to have secured the meeting with the Home Office representative following his parliamentary intervention, and that “our commitment, as a city of sanctuary, to help those fleeing war and persecution is something I, and our city, are very proud of.”