Syrian refugees will be brought to live in Fermanagh in the New Year, The Impartial Reporter can reveal.

The detailed arrangements for where they will be located and when they will arrive will be worked out closer to the time of arrival.
In 2014, the UK Government launched the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme to provide protection in the UK for particularly vulnerable refugees who are at grave risk from the violence and suffering which are occurring every day in Syria.

A year later, the Northern Ireland Executive told the UK Government that Northern Ireland was willing to welcome some of the most vulnerable refugees into the province, with 50 to 100 arriving on a phased basis from December 2015. 

The scheme resettles refugees who have fled from the conflict to the countries bordering Syria. It does not involve the relocation of refugees who have arrived in other EU countries.

In the past two years, 703 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Northern Ireland. The most recent group of 71 people arrived in October, consisting of 19 families who were resettled in the Dungannon, Magherafelt, Belfast, Armagh, Lisburn and Derry/Londonderry areas. 
More than 8,000 Syrian refugees have been resettled in the UK.

In the Republic of Ireland, an abandoned hotel in the rural town of Ballaghaderreen in County Roscommon is being used to accommodate more than 200 Syrian refugees on a two-year contract.

A DfC spokesman told The Impartial Reporter: “As part of the Syrian Person Relocation Scheme, the Northern Ireland Executive committed to accepting groups of refugees on a regular basis and it is expected that groups will arrive approximately every two months over the coming three years. 

“An Operational Planning Group led by the Department for Communities looks at the specific arrangements to resettle the refugees. The Department works closely with all local councils to put in place the necessary arrangements. The availability of suitable housing to meet the needs of the refugees is the priority when considering locations for resettlement.” No Syrian families have been resettled in County Fermanagh so far.“However, there are plans to begin settling families in County Fermanagh from 2018 as the resettlement process continues. The detailed arrangements, including arrival dates and resettlement locations, are worked out by the Operational Planning Group closer to the time of arrival.”