We must do our bit to help Syrian refugees – including welcoming a number in proportion to the size of the island’s population.
That’s the message at the centre of an event set to take place in Douglas on Saturday.
‘Refugees Welcome to the Isle of Man’ is being organised by three organisations: Amnesty Internaional IoM the One World Centre and the Refugees in the Isle of Man group.
It is being timed to coincide with marches and rallies in London, Belfast and Edinburgh asking the UK Government to do more to help with the humanitarian crisis of refugees in Europe ahead of a United Nations summit on Monday.
Philip Matthews, from Amnesty International IoM, said: ‘The three organisations behind this event are not asking the Isle of Man government to do more, but to actually do something!
‘Yes, we have given £544,417 over the last five years to two charities that have worked with the Syrian refugee camps but we have not offered to take our fair share of the 20,000 refugees that the UK is committed to resettling by 2020.
‘Proportional to our population, this would mean we could offer to welcome approximately 25 refugees by 2020.’
The demonstration will take place on Loch Promenade between midday and 3pm. A group photograph will be staged at 1pm when organisers want as many people as possible to wear life jackets or buoyancy aids to hammer the message home.
There will be a petition to sign on the day, which will also be available online. The group will be approaching the new Manx government with the petition following next week’s general election.
Mr Matthews added: ‘One year ago, both the Cabinet Office and the Council of Ministers expressed a willingness to help with the resettlement scheme and promised to seek clarification as to how the island could take a small number of Syrian refugees.
‘But in June this year, in response to a question in Tynwald from the Bishop, the Chief Minister replied that it would be problematic, at this stage, to take any refugees.
‘But, in conclusion, he did say that “if there is an opportunity for the Isle of Man to review the situation through the UK’s own immigration and refugee processing systems then certainly we will look at them”.
‘On August 4, the UK Home Affairs Select committee said that it would welcome the Crown Dependencies involvement in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons’ Resettlement Scheme and that the necessary support and assistance would be available from the UK Government.
‘There are many residents who have offered accommodation and others who are willing to provide support services and resources free of charge.’