MORE than 200 Syrian refugees have landed in Glasgow to start their new lives – and Argyll and Bute is one of the local authorities to provide homes.

But Argyll and Bute Council has remained tight-lipped on where 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 last Thursday, 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 helped give these vulnerable people a safe environment and the chance to rebuild their lives.”

A spokesman for Argyll and Bute Council said: “We won’t be discussing the arrival of the Syrian families to afford them the privacy to settle in as we would with any other family.”

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

Many have been relocated to Argyll and Bute, which was one of the first Scottish council areas to sign up to the VPR scheme in 2015.

Fifteen families – 28 adults and 31 children – were given new homes on Bute, where the population is falling and there is a plentiful supply of public sector housing, while others were resettled in Campbeltown.

This time no information has been provided on how many refugees have been given homes in Argyll and Bute or where they will be living.

Gary Christie, head of policy and communications for the Scottish Refugee Council, said: “The refugee crisis has not gone away, and we need to continue to provide safety and protection to people in need.

“Local authorities and communities have played a fantastic role in supporting and welcoming refugees – and Argyll and Bute can be proud of its role in giving people the time and space for a new start, away from war, conflict and daily fear.”

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.