Government pledge to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK to cost over £500m

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Government plans to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK by 2020 will cost an estimated £589m ($835m). The figure was revealed by Syrian Refugee Minister Richard Harrington in response to a parliamentary question from Labour MP Jim Cunningham.

 

The refugees are being accepted under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme, which was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron in September 2015. So far, 1,194 people have been accepted by the UK, including 605 aged under 18, according to government figures.

 

Read More: Government pledge to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK to cost over £500m