Moray residents to be given chance to discuss asylum seekers arriving in Elgin
A PUBLIC meeting is set to be held in Elgin to inform residents about the work of the Moray Asylum Oversight Group.
The first asylum seekers have moved into the Eight Acres Hotel after The Northern Scot revealed last month that the hotel would be used to house them.
More asylum seekers, all young men, are set to arrive in the coming weeks with Moray Council working closely with the Home Office and other stakeholders to help integrate them into the community.
The group supporting them, Moray Asylum Oversight Group, have already held two stakeholder meetings with a further three planned in the coming weeks.
However, Elgin Community Council has offered to host a public meeting at Elgin Town hall for residents curious about the support being provided by the group.
Council leader, Cllr Kathleen Robertson (Conservative, Forres), said: "As has been highlighted previously, the Home Office is using an asylum hotel in Elgin to support their dispersal policy for asylum seekers. The hotel will receive single male asylum seekers until it reaches capacity.
“Following two stakeholder meetings with the Moray Asylum Oversight Group, a further three meetings are being organised. Elgin Community Council has offered to host a public meeting at Elgin Town Hall for local residents to find out more about the support being provided by the Oversight Group. The date for this will be published once confirmed.”
The subject was discussed at a meeting of the full council today. However, members of public as well as the media were excluded.
Councillor Jérémie Fernandes (SNP, Elgin North) said that keeping the agenda item confidential could lead to 'speculation' and 'disinformation'.
He said: "I am very aware of the political climate in which we operate at the moment.
"There’s a far-right group planning a protest in Elgin next month, and those people will latch onto anything to push their conspiracy theories and hateful rhetoric.
"I feel that putting item 15 Refugee Settlement and Asylum Support in the confidential without providing the public an explanation for this will lead to more speculation and more disinformation."
The council confirmed during the meeting that 133 Ukrainian nationals are 'building a life' in Moray following their displacement from Ukraine. It was also confirmed that Afghan refugees will move to the region in the near future.
Cllr Robertson added: "These families have received support from Third Sector and the public with council support co-ordinated through an operational working group.
“Further to this, the council agreed to participate in the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). While there have been no Afghan refugees arriving in Moray to date, we have recently received seven family referrals. We expect to support these families in their move to Moray in the near future.
“Eight unaccompanied young people are being supported by the council’s Children and Families Social Work Team in Moray."