The criticism from faith leaders came after Robert Goodwill, the Immigration Minister, claimed that no synagogues had signed up to a scheme to take refugees into their home
January 26, 2017 17:10
Jewish groups have said the government needs to do more to house refugee families rather than “pass on the responsibility to faith groups to do its job.”
The criticism from faith leaders came after Robert Goodwill, the Immigration Minister, claimed that no synagogues had signed up to a scheme to take refugees into their home.
He later changed the tone of his original blunt statement to something more conciliatory.
“Groups around the country are helping to support refugees but we want to see the first successful Jewish Community Sponsorship group,” he said.
Yesterday Mr Goodwill called on synagogues and Jewish charities to house refugee families as part of a project launched by the Home Secretary and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
He said he had been impressed with the community’s response to the refugee crisis to date, but called on members to go a step further and register their interest in the Community Sponsorship scheme, which launched six months ago.
“So far we are not aware of any groups or synagogues who have signed up to sponsor a family through the scheme,” he said.
However, Edie Friedman, director of the Jewish Council for Racial Equality, said: “Jewish groups and synagogues should be complimenting what the government is doing, not taking its place.
“There has been too little action and not enough commitment from the government to its pledge to house refugees. The community response to the refugee crisis has been immense already and we can continue to help but we can’t do their job for them.
“They promised to provide homes for 20,000 refugees and they are failing on that target.”
World Jewish Relief’s effort for Syrian refugees raised the second highest appeal total in the charity’s history.
The appeal, launched in September 2015, and had cross communal support, raised more than £626,760.
Finchley Progressive Synagogue's Rabbi, Rebecca Qassim Birk led a local Citizens UK campaign to get 50 Syrian refugees resettled in Barnet.
As part of the scheme, four Jewish landlords offered to house refugees, 32 GP surgeries offered to register refugees and five schools committed to giving places to Syrian children.
Rabbi Avraham Pinter, a senior figure from London's strictly Orthodox community, agreed that the government should be more active in helping refugees, “instead of putting pressure on faith communities to do their job for them”.
Rabbi Pinter added: “It is all good and well for ministers to reach out to communities to do this or that with schemes but what are they doing themselves?”
Mr Goodwill explained that under the scheme, synagogues or community groups “would be responsible for the family and able to provide housing, help with English lessons, and help integrate them into society.”
He noted that the Jewish community’s history and experience during the Second World War made them “one of the best placed groups” to support and resettle Syrian refugees and said that those who were welcomed into the UK having arrived on the Kindertransport, or those who had family who were helped after fleeing the Nazis, “would be able to relate to the refugees better than anyone”.
“We have had a couple of churches signed up be we are keen to involve as many faith groups as possible,” he added.
Families helped through the scheme will come from the 20,000 refugees from Syria which the government has committed to helping over the next five years.
