Syrian refugee crisis

Welcoming refugees to Northern Ireland

The government in Northern Ireland has been working to welcome refugees from Syria as part of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme, run by the UK Home Office.

Anyone who would like to offer their good wishes to the families arriving here can send welcome cards or posters to the address below.

• Department for Communities - Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme

Vulnerable Syrian Refugee Consortium

Bryson Intercultural is the lead partner in the Vulnerable Syrian Refugee consortium which was established to support the Syrian refugees arriving here. Organisations who would like to offer a voluntary / ‘in kind’ community support service to the Syrian Refugees can do so via Bryson Intercultural’s website.

• Bryson Intercultural website

Making a cash donation

Many international organisations and charities are working in the UK, across Europe and in the countries refugees are fleeing from to provide aid and assistance. By making a cash donation, your money can help to get food, water, clothing, medical supplies and other essentials to those most in need.

In Northern Ireland, local charity EMBRACE is currently working to support the refugees arriving here. You can find out more about their work and how you can help at the link below.

• EMBRACE website

There are other local charities you may want to support. Here's a list of humanitarian and relief agencies that are working to help refugees:

• Oxfam Refugee Crisis Appeal
• The British Red Cross Europe Refugees Crisis Appeal
• Save the Children Syria Appeal
• UNICEF Syria Appeal
• UNHCR’s Emergency Appeal

Find out more about giving money safely.

Donating food, clothes and other essentials

You can donate items to charity shops and some faith-based groups. The items you donate may not go directly to refugees but the money raised helps charities to support them.

• British Red Cross charity shops
• Save the Children charity shops
• Oxfam charity shops

You can also donate food to your local foodbank.

• Find your nearest foodbank - The Trussell Trust website

Volunteering

Local refugee and other charity or support organisations may have volunteering opportunities available.

• Volunteering

Housing or sponsoring a refugee

The government is not asking anyone in Northern Ireland to come forward with offers of housing refugees in their homes at this stage.

However, if you are a registered landlord and are interested in making your rental property available for refugees, you’ll find information in the quarterly landlord newsletter from the Department for Communities about expressing your interest.

Find out more about landlord registration.

In July 2016, the Home Office announced a community sponsorship scheme for refugees in the UK. Potential sponsorship programmes for Northern Ireland are currently being looked at.

Further details on the community sponsorship scheme can be found below:

• Community sponsorship scheme - Gov.uk website