Councillor Landell Mills, seconded by Councillor Goddard, proposed his submitted motion, including his amendments submitted subsequent to publication of the agenda.

On being put to the vote, the motion was declared carried.

Council resolved to adopt the motion as set out below:

Council notes:

1.    the refugee crisis over the summer including refugees from Syria but also from other countries; the publication of a House of Lords report on unaccompanied migrant children in July 2016 and the visit by a delegation of senior local government figures to the Calais ‘jungle’ migrant camp in August 2016.

2.    that an estimated 88,000 unaccompanied children are believed to be travelling through continental Europe, falling prey to exploitation and abuse.

3.    and celebrates the generous response of Oxford residents at the ‘Refugees Welcome’ event last September and the excellent ongoing work of Asylum Welcome and other refugee organisations, and confirms its commitment to build on that spirit of welcome.

4.    that Coventry City Council initially undertook to accommodate 50 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees, and now houses around 250 refugees.

5.    the significant work of council officers in coordinating a county wide group to welcome refugees, and this week's announcement of a further 10 families

 Council believes and agrees:

1.    that the UK must welcome its fair share of refugees to ease this crisis including unaccompanied refugee children.

2.    that Oxford, as a city of sanctuary, should be at the forefront of the effort to promote safety and inclusion to people seeking refuge and sanctuary.

3.    that refugees contribute a huge amount to local communities throughout the UK.

4.    that, the whole process of resettlement - from assessment overseas, through placement with individual councils, to accessing essential services – must be rooted in the best interests of the child and adequately resourced.

5.    that central Government should make additional funding available to local authorities to help with this and to build capacity, recognising pressures on housing and schools.

6.    that, working together, local and central government can provide safety, stability and support to children in desperate need.

7.    with the comments of David Simmons, Chair of the Local Government Association's Asylum, Refugee and Migration task group, that councils require more funding to cope with the resettlement challenges.

Council therefore:

1.    welcomes the central Government’s commitment in the Immigration Act 2016 to create a resettlement scheme to bring unaccompanied refugee children from continental Europe to safety in the UK, but notes the very slow progress that has been made in implementing a scheme to cater for this highly vulnerable group.

2.    calls council members to sign Liberty’s statement of support, pressuring central government to honour its commitment without delay (https://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/campaigning/protect-refugee-children). 

3.    recognises the important role that the City Council and residents of Oxford have been playing in caring for children and their families seeking sanctuary, and the excellent liaison with the County Council that has been developed over the past 18 months in caring for unaccompanied minors.

4.    urges central Government, by writing to appropriate Ministers, to work closely with local government to ensure that councils have the funding and support to build the essential regional infrastructure necessary to secure the placement and support of children across the country, especially in relation to housing provision, educational needs, and English language provision, and help us build them a brighter, safer future. 

5.    endorses the proposal to accommodate a further ten families under the SVPRS in 2017, that has been lodged with the Home Office and the Regional Partnership.