Charities create website to help parishes settle refugees

The Church is developing a new toolkit for parishes considering sponsoring Syrian refugees to ensure that families fleeing war are successfully integrated into British life, writes Megan Cornwell.

The resource, which is expected to be available online only, will be created by the group coordinating the Church’s response to the refugee crisis in England and Wales. Members include representatives from the Bishops’ Conference, as well as Church agencies Caritas Social Action Network (Csan) and the Catholic Children’s Society.

The website is expected to provide information about the genesis of the refugee crisis; the experience of refugees; details of the cultural and religious backgrounds of those on the Community Sponsorship Scheme; and details from Salford diocese’s pilot programme.