Date announced for public meeting on asylum seekers
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ELGIN Community Council are hosting a public information event on Moray's asylum seekers next week.
The public forum will be held in Elgin Town Hall on Tuesday, June 27 at 7pm and will give residents the chance to learn more about the support being offered to the asylum seekers arriving in Moray.
The Eight Acres Hotel in Elgin has been used to house asylum seekers since May 2023, with around 50 people currently staying in the hotel while awaiting the outcome of their asylum application.
While Moray Council is not involved in running the site or providing day to day support, the Council's Asylum, Refugee and Resettlement Team works closely with Home Office contractor Mears, local partners, the voluntary sector and wider community to offer assistance and wellbeing support to the individuals staying at the hotel.
During the meeting, members of the Asylum, Refugee and Resettlement Team will explain more about their role and the work of the multi-agency Moray Asylum Oversight Group.
Chair of Elgin Community Council, Alastair Kennedy, said: “We as a community are known for our compassion and support to those in need. We appreciate residents may have questions about the arrival in Moray of asylum seekers fleeing conflict and this is an opportunity to help people understand what is happening and how they may be able to get involved in helping individuals integrate into our community.”
Chief Executive of Moray Council, Roddy Burns, said: “We are grateful to Alastair and Elgin Community Council for offering to host the event which follows on from a presentation to community councillors by the Asylum, Refugee & Resettlement Team. We hope members of the public will come along on Tuesday night to learn more.”
The information event starts at 7pm and following a presentation by the team, there will be an open question and answer session.
A frequently asked questions section is also being added to the Resettlement in Moray page on the council website.
