Starting a new life in an unfamiliar country having left everything behind is always going to be difficult. The Syrian refugees who are being resettled in the UK have also been through the unimaginable horrors and trauma of war. It is of little surprise that despite being in a place of safety, some may struggle with their new lives and starting with nothing when they once had their own homes, businesses and jobs.
The refugees on the island of Bute who are finding it difficult to cope with isolation, learning the language and finding employment have every right to air their concerns. But selective tabloid reporting which claims that the refugees on the island see Bute as a place “full of old people” and “where people come to die” do nothing but inflame increasing and worrying anti-immigrant rhetoric.
It is not the whole picture – as we report today, many of the other families who have been relocated to Bute are enjoying their new lives and feel compelled to speak out to defend their new community in the light of the negative reports.
Over the next few years, a total of 20,000 Syrian refugees are expected to be resettled across the UK under the same scheme which brought the families to Bute. If there are concerns or issues, it is only right they are discussed. But there is no room for spin which has for far too long characterised reporting by certain sections of the media on the refugee crisis.
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