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REX/ZUMA
UK News

'You don't need a palace', Immigration Minister calls on churches to take in refugees

The UK has made a commitment to receive 20,000 vulnerable people seeking protection and the government is looking for community groups to partner with to house and support some of them.

Last year it launched the Community Sponsorship Programme, a scheme where groups can apply to take in and support a family for a minimum of two years.

Sponsors are then responsible for housing, English language tuition and employment support as well as practical needs.

In an exclusive interview with Premier, Immigration Minister Robert Goodwill said churches are the ideal group to take part in the programme.

"This is about bringing the family into your community, giving them the support they might need," he said. "It might be children's clothes, it might be taking people for job interviews, helping people acclimatise to the UK.

"It's a great opportunity to be a Good Samaritan and not pass on the other side of the road."

Robert Goodwill

The government requires each community group to be able to show they have £9,000 available to be spent on this support, however costs are unlikely to reach that level as churches may have services such as language teaching which they can offer for free.

"It's better to give than receive," Mr Goodwill told Premier in the interview conducted in collaboration with the campaign group Church Response For Refugees. "Yes it is a big commitment but people who get involved in this will find it tremendously rewarding.

"When they see the family doing well, kids getting on in school, people getting jobs.

"Church groups and faith groups are just the sort of community groups we want to get involved in delivering this."

The Community Sponsorship Programme already has the support of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who has himself acted as a sponsor and taken in a family at his Lambeth Palace home.

Dan Kitwood/PA Wire

While praising Justin Welby, Mr Goodwill encouraged churches with smaller accommodation suggesting "you don't need a palace" to take part.

Mr Goodwill also praised the Church's "long record" of helping people and for the work they do supporting those in need in the UK.

For more information on the Community Sponsorship Programme click here.

Listen to Robert Goodwill speaking to Premier's Marcus Jones.

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