OVER 200 Syrian refugees have landed in Glasgow to start their new lives and Argyll and Bute is one of the local authorities to take them into care.

Argyll and Bute Council have remained tight lipped on where in Argyll and Bute some of the refugees will be located and how many the authority is taking in.

The Syrians, who were identified for resettlement and brought to Scotland as part of the Uk government's Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) scheme, arrived at Glasgow airport yesterday, March 16, to start their new lives.

Immigration Minister Robert Goodwill said: “The humanitarian crisis in Syria is unprecedented which is why we decided to undertake one of the largest resettlement schemes in the UK’s history.

“I am very grateful to the Local Authorities, community groups and individuals across Scotland who have helped to provide these vulnerable people with a safe environment and the chance to rebuild their lives.”

Hundreds of flights carrying Syrians have arrived in the UK over the past 18 months. Over 5,500 refugees have been resettled in the UK under the scheme so far - around a fifth have been found homes in Scotland.

The families have been taken in by councils including Argyll and Bute, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fife, Glasgow, Inverclyde and North and South Ayrshire.

The government remains on track to meet the commitment of resettling 20,000 Syrians by 2020.

In addition to the VPR scheme, the government has also committed to accepting up to 3,000 vulnerable children and family members directly from the Middle East and North Africa.