York to take in refugees

City of York Council said this afternoon it was looking at ways of accommodating some of the 3,000 refugees who are due to fly into Leeds Bradford Airport next month.

And the authority today issued an urgent appeal for help in providing interpretation and translation facilities.

The council asked anyone able to speak or write in Albanian to come forward to offer their assistance.

"It doesn't matter who they are or what jobs they do - as long as they feel they can help out.

"We want to appeal for anyone who can speak or write in Albanian - Serbo Croat is not suitable - to come forward as soon as possible."

The Evening Press understands that 80 refugees will initially be coming to the city, but an additional 70 may arrive subsequently.

Top officers and the council's urgency committee will meet tomorrow morning to discuss proposals for where to house the Kosovars.

It is also understood that City of York Council will be looking to work with voluntary organisations like the Community Service Volunteers in preparing plans for accommodating the Kosovars in York.

The council said a big regional effort to accommodate refugees is being co-ordinated from Leeds, where the first group of refugees into Britain started arriving last month.

Eighteen flights are expected into Leeds Bradford over a three-week period, each carrying 160 people, in what is thought to be the largest ever peacetime evacuation to the UK.

Refugee co-ordinators admit that finding spaces for them all will be a major task, but say councils across Yorkshire and Humberside are pulling out all the stops to make places ready as reception centres or longer term accommodation.

Reception centres will be designed to cater for refugees for three to six months.

Anyone able to help with translation or interpretation duties should contact Catriona Mackenzie at the council's Citizens' Support Group on 01904 551026.

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