This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-34150371
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Find a room for refugees, says Bristol mayor | Find a room for refugees, says Bristol mayor |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Bristol's mayor is urging people to find a spare room in their homes for refugees, as the council says it hopes to take some of the "desperate". | |
| George Ferguson said social housing was full, but he hoped those "fortunate enough" to have space would help. | George Ferguson said social housing was full, but he hoped those "fortunate enough" to have space would help. |
| Bristol, a city of sanctuary, is also in talks with charities and landlords about finding space. | Bristol, a city of sanctuary, is also in talks with charities and landlords about finding space. |
| The prime minister has said the UK will accept thousands more Syrian refugees in response to the humanitarian crisis. | |
| Extra refugees will come from UN camps bordering Syria, not those already in Europe. | |
| The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, has offered to take in 100 refugees into the city. | |
| And the Dean of York Minster, the Very Reverend Vivienne Faull, said the cathedral would offer one of its vacant properties to a family - as she urged more in the city to come forward with help. | |
| It has not been decided how many refugees Bristol could take. | It has not been decided how many refugees Bristol could take. |
| Help offered | Help offered |
| Mr Ferguson said Bristol had 13,000 households on the waiting list for social housing, so was technically full. | Mr Ferguson said Bristol had 13,000 households on the waiting list for social housing, so was technically full. |
| But he said: "I'm looking for people right across Bristol to be able to volunteer to take people in. | But he said: "I'm looking for people right across Bristol to be able to volunteer to take people in. |
| "Some people are fortunate enough to be able to do something about it. | "Some people are fortunate enough to be able to do something about it. |
| "It's those people I'm asking. I'm not asking people to squeeze more people into an already overcrowded home." | "It's those people I'm asking. I'm not asking people to squeeze more people into an already overcrowded home." |
| Mr Ferguson has not yet said whether he will be accommodating refugees. | |
| Bristol councillor Brenda Massey has met voluntary and charity sector representatives to see what space can be found. | |
| She said she had been contacted by Syrians in Bristol who were offering help, as well as some of the city's mosques. | She said she had been contacted by Syrians in Bristol who were offering help, as well as some of the city's mosques. |
| But she first wanted to make sure Bristol had a long-term solution for refugees - with housing, education and health facilities in place. | But she first wanted to make sure Bristol had a long-term solution for refugees - with housing, education and health facilities in place. |
| Calls for Britain to offer refuge to more of the thousands of people fleeing Syria and other countries intensified after a photo was published of a drowned three-year-old Syrian boy on a Turkish beach. | |
| Labour leadership contender Yvette Cooper said on Tuesday every city should be asked to accept 10 refugee families. | |
| The Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, said any help offered by councils must be voluntary "where support can be adequately provided" and Whitehall covers the costs. | |
| A spokesman for Cosla, which represents most Scottish councils, said a number of them were "in discussions with the Home Office about accepting more" Syrian refugees - if they get support from Holyrood and Westminster. |