Syrian Refugees
Good afternoon, everyone. The first item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-08845, in the name of Patricia Ferguson, on support for Syrian refugees. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament expresses solidarity with the children, women and men of Syria who are enduring the country’s near-three-year civil war; understands that an estimated 6.5 million have been displaced internally and a further 2.4 million have sought refugee status in neighbouring countries, with many now in camps in Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey; expresses particular concern for the people who have survived torture and sexual violence, the many who have lost loved ones and for the unaccompanied children and young people; commends the concern, voluntary endeavours and generosity of the public in the UK who, it understands, have donated over £23 million to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Syria Crisis Appeal; welcomes what it sees as the substantial financial commitments of the UK and Scottish governments and the wide support from across the political spectrum to the principles of refugee resettlement, humanitarian admission and family reunion; notes the calls for these principles to be implemented by the UK, with Scotland playing its part, in helping to resettle refugees in order to transform and enhance their lives; further notes calls for Scotland and the rest of the UK to join in the efforts of other western countries by offering protection to Syrians, and believes that, as demonstrated by the participation of West Lothian, Edinburgh, North Berwick, Glasgow and Renfrewshire in the evacuation and resettlement of refugees from Bosnia and Kosovo, this would continue Scotland’s proud tradition of welcoming and helping to resettle people fleeing conflict.
I thank all members from across the Parliament who signed my motion, making it possible for the debate to take place.
Before speaking about the plight of the refugees in the Syrian conflict, I think that it is worth reflecting on the situation in Syria, which has led to so many of its citizens becoming displaced and forced to seek refuge where it can be found. In 2011, when a number of countries in the middle east rose up against Governments that they regarded as dictatorial or as unrepresentative, Syria was among their number. I expect that, as we witnessed the beginning of the conflict there, we would have been surprised if someone had predicted that the Assad regime would still be defiantly in place in 2014.
The situation in Syria is undoubtedly complex but to describe it, as the Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbot, did, as “baddies versus baddies” entirely misses the point and glosses over the millions of innocent people who are caught up in this tragic conflict. We can only deplore a situation that has led to 100,000 people being killed; the sickening but credible reports of the systematic use of torture and starvation as weapons of war; and, of course, the outrageous use of chemical weapons. During the civil war, atrocities have been committed by both sides, but it is fair to say that one side regards what we call atrocities as merely a strategy in that conflict.
Millions have fled their homes, with 6.5 million people being displaced within Syria and 2.3 million people fleeing to neighbouring countries. Of those 2.3 million people, it is estimated that more than half are children. Within Syria, aid agencies and non-governmental organisations have struggled to reach those who need help, in spite of valiant efforts to do so. It is right that we acknowledge the bravery of those who do that extremely dangerous work. Working in areas of conflict is always a very risky business and, in this conflict alone, 34 Syrian Red Crescent volunteers have been killed while performing humanitarian duties. Just last week, vehicles clearly displaying the emblems of the Red Cross and Red Crescent came under fire as they tried to enter the city of Homs.
The best possible outcome would of course be a negotiated end to the conflict and a peaceful political transition. Unfortunately, that seems a long way off, so meanwhile—without giving up on diplomatic efforts—the outside world must turn its attention to the additional help that it can provide.
The countries that share a border with Syria are now inundated with refugees—the population of Lebanon, for example, is estimated to have risen by a staggering 25 per cent as a result. Clearly those countries cannot be expected to bear the burden alone. That is why my colleagues at Westminster were so firm in their resolve in arguing that the United Kingdom should play its part. I put on record my sincere praise for the UK Government, which pledged £600 million for relief—the second highest contribution after the USA. The Scottish Government also deserves credit for its contribution of £200,000.
However, I am disappointed that it took six months of campaigning by the Labour Party, with the help of other Opposition parties at Westminster, some back-bench members of the coalition, refugee councils across the country, many of the aid organisations and some national newspapers, to persuade the coalition Government that it should—that it must—accept refugees. Let us remember that only a week before Theresa May’s announcement, the then immigration minister, Mark Harper, described any UK Government resettlement of refugees as tokenistic. Of course, the UK Government proposal, although welcome, is to accept only the most vulnerable refugees in numbers that are likely to be in the hundreds from a conflict that is likely to result in 4.1 million refugees. A country that played such a vital role in assisting Kosovan refugees and people escaping other conflicts over the years can surely do better.
The Scottish Government was quick to react and say that it would play its part in the resettlement of Syrians. If the minister is able to provide any insight into how those negotiations might play out, that would be very helpful. However, I would hope that the Scottish Government might push the UK Government to do more by demonstrating that Scotland stands ready to assist.
The Syrian refugees whom I have met, who are involved in the excellent Maryhill Integration Network, are absolutely clear that they do not want to be refugees—they want to be at home—but while they are here, they will play their part in the lives of our communities.
I know that other members want to speak, but we must mention the role that Gordon Brown MP is playing in drawing attention to the very real prospect that an entire generation of young Syrians might be deprived of an education. That view should be supported. Given Scotland’s proud record over the centuries in education, perhaps it is an area in which we could provide particular help and expertise.
I will end with a quote from Gordon Brown that, to me, encapsulates the issue:
“young people need more than food, a home and vaccinations: they need hope, which is what education offers, allowing children to plan for the future and preventing young people, already scarred by war, from becoming a ‘lost generation’. If, through the creation of the Red Cross and later Médecins Sans Frontières, the right to healthcare even in conflict has become the norm for more than a century, then we can achieve the same for education in 2014, and prise open a window of hope amidst the increasing despair.”
Thank you for your brevity. We are tight for time today.
14:06
Patricia Ferguson deserves huge credit for bringing to the chamber this important debate on the condition of Syria’s refugees, which for many in this country has become a forgotten issue. Patricia has not forgotten the issue and I am glad that we in this Parliament are giving it the attention that it deserves.
As the United Nations Security Council considers a draft resolution aimed at increasing access to humanitarian aid in Syria, the debate is particularly timely. Although a positive result from the latest round of peace talks is uncertain, if not unlikely, I know that members across the chamber will share a deep desire to see them succeed and for there to be the diplomatic breakthrough that the people of Syria so desperately need and deserve.
In March 2012, I led a members’ business debate to highlight the terrible atrocities and devastating violence taking place in Syria. At that time, the civil war had claimed the lives of more than 8,000 people and displaced around 200,000 people. Two years on, the situation in Syria has deteriorated immeasurably into a crisis that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has described as
“the greatest tragedy of this century – a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history.”
Now in its third year, Syria’s civil war has displaced more than 4 million people internally and forced more than 2 million people to flee their country for the relative safety of neighbouring countries. According to figures that were released by the UN at the end of last year, more than 2 million Syrian refugees have been registered in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. The flow of people and families across Syria’s border continues to swell far beyond initial expectations and that is putting considerable strain on the region’s already limited resources. Communities in neighbouring countries have been extraordinarily generous in hosting vulnerable Syrian refugees and the international community owes those countries a huge debt of gratitude for keeping their borders open and continuing to offer safety and sanctuary to those people forced to leave their homes.
Given the scale of the humanitarian crisis, the challenge for the international community and aid agencies must be to support and assist those countries and share the burden whenever possible. It would be churlish not to pay tribute to the UK Government for its significant investment in that endeavour, with a commitment of more than £500 million for support inside Syria and support for the region.
Patricia Ferguson’s motion recognises the need for Scotland to play its part as a good global citizen in supporting the international effort to provide humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees. I am pleased that the Scottish Government has provided more than £200,000 to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Syria crisis appeal and that, according to the Scottish Refugee Council, at least £1 million of the £23 million that has been donated has come from people in Scotland. That demonstrates the tremendous generosity of people from all over the country, who understandably want to do all that they can to help those most in need.
As the conflict continues and the number of displaced people and refugees rises, it is essential that humanitarian agencies and organisations continue to respond quickly, effectively and on a meaningful scale.
Aid agencies continue to play a pivotal role and I am proud to have the European headquarters of Mercy Corps in my constituency. Mercy Corps is succeeding in delivering assistance on the largest possible scale, reaching more than 2 million people both inside and outside Syria. Although much of its effort is focused on meeting the most urgent and immediate humanitarian needs, Mercy Corps is constantly seeking opportunities to work alongside populations affected by the conflict in Syria to build long-term resilience to recurring shocks and stresses relating to exposure to conflict and displacement.
The sad truth is that the global community is disunited as to how to bring an end to the conflict in Syria. However, there can be no disagreement over the need to alleviate human suffering and the world’s responsibility to do more. Is it not time for the UK and Scotland to meet our international obligations to accept more refugees and to do more to help the men, women and children of Syria?
14:11
I thank my colleague Patricia Ferguson for securing the debate.
I am sure that all members will agree that the on-going political and humanitarian crisis in Syria is extremely troubling and that more must be done to end the plight of the Syrian people.
Although we hear much in the news about the conflict between the Assad-led regime and the disparate branches of the opposition, it is sometimes forgotten that many ordinary Syrians just want to be able to get on with their lives without fear of violence on both sides. A sad fact of the war is that it is difficult to be clear about who is fighting for the freedom of the Syrian people and who is using the conflict to further their own ends. Recent reports from Human Rights Watch and others suggest that both sides have perpetrated war crimes, although it appears that the regime forces have been most guilty in this regard.
As a co-convener of the cross-party group for Palestine, I take a particular interest in the middle east, although I am in no way an expert. Members will remember the beginnings of the Syrian conflict in 2011 and the Arab spring. As Patricia Ferguson highlighted, I am not sure that any of us thought that the Assad regime would last this long. If recent events are anything to go by, it may continue for some time.
Although measures have been taken to ensure the removal of chemical and biological weapons from Syria—I am, of course, supportive of those measures—there is still far more violence being carried out with conventional weapons, which must be addressed through the international community. We were all, of course, hopeful that Mr Brahimi’s mediation efforts at the Geneva II negotiations would be successful, but it appears that little has been achieved, at least publicly.
The recent situation in Homs demonstrates the difficulties in bringing about even the most basic of humanitarian measures. The Red Cross and Red Crescent have called for unimpeded access to besieged areas and the UN-backed humanitarian pause was certainly a step forward, as it allowed civilians to be evacuated from Homs. However, the International Committee of the Red Cross still has grave concerns about the lack of
“a commitment from all sides to respect the basic principles of international humanitarian law”.
The likelihood of a continued political stalemate makes the need to help Syrian refugees all the more important. As former Foreign Secretary David Miliband said,
“if peace cannot be brought, how can humanity be brought to the conduct of war?”
The humanitarian crisis is certainly extreme. As Patricia Ferguson states in her motion—and as Jim Eadie highlighted—neighbouring countries feel the strain of a massive influx of refugees. I believe that the number of refugees in Lebanon alone has now surpassed a million people. In a country of fewer than 5 million people, that is an astounding statistic. I am sure that members will join me in commending the valuable help that has been provided by Oxfam and others, who have been ensuring that vulnerable people from Syria who are in Lebanon have safe housing and that their basic needs are addressed.
Under the UNHCR scheme, other European countries have committed to admitting significant numbers of refugees—I believe that Germany will admit 11,000. I am sure that the chamber would agree that Scotland would be more than willing to play its part, should the scheme be adopted by the UK.
According to the Home Secretary, 3,500 Syrian asylum seekers have been admitted to the UK by way of UK borders, but not by the Government actively bringing people here. I recognise that the British Government has done something to provide aid to those who are still trapped in Syria and I welcome the commitment to work towards a political settlement. I echo the words of John Wilkes of the Scottish Refugee Council, who has said that we must offer the most needy people a home in our country. I feel that the UK could do more to take part in the UN scheme. The Scottish Government is certainly playing its part, and I encourage it to do all that it can. In that, it will have the support of members from across the chamber.
14:15
I pay tribute to Patricia Ferguson for lodging the motion and for bringing the debate to Parliament. I do not have a prepared script, but I want to tell members about my experience at a refugee camp in the Kurdish region in northern Iraq during the summer. I had been at Halabja and, on the way back, I found that Kurdistan had opened its borders to refugees from Syria. The primary schools there, which were on holiday at the time, became the first point of contact for refugees to get food, water and basic bedding before they went on to more stable accommodation in larger refugee camps.
I want to tell members the story of a family I met through friends, who were translating for me. I asked the family about the fighting and why they had left. I say to those who take a different view of immigration and asylum that that family did not want to leave Syria, although I must point out that they believed that they lived in Kurdistan. They did not want to leave their home, but they did so because they were not safe. I asked who they were not safe from, and they said that no matter which side in the conflict was involved, they were being persecuted. However, it is simplistic to say that it is “baddies versus baddies”, so the Australian Prime Minister was wrong about that. Assad has institutionalised the atrocities that are going on. Others might be committing atrocities, but the Government in Syria is carrying out institutionalised attacks on human rights.
To the family I spoke to, however, who wins the conflict does not seem to matter—what matters to them is that they are safe. When the conflict finishes, whoever is in charge, they just want to be safe. They see themselves as vulnerable because of a wider geopolitical situation that they do not care about, and they just want to be safe.
I can tell members another couple of things about my experience there and the families I met. First, they do not like Scottish Parliament tablet or fudge—I gave it to them, but it was too sweet for them. Also, while I was there, a child was having breathing difficulties. We mentioned that to the people who organised the aid and, within five minutes, an ambulance arrived to take the child to hospital, although that was probably just because a member of the Scottish Parliament was in the refugee camp. That is not because people do not care about the child and the family but because they are so overwhelmed by what they have to do that they have to prioritise the most serious cases. Believe it or not, that child with breathing difficulties might not have been the most serious case that they had to deal with.
It is right that the UK takes refugees. I was going to say that we should take a fair share, but we should just take as many as we can in an organised fashion. These people are sometimes under attack from all sides and they just want to be safe. I hope that, as refugees come from the Syrian conflict to the UK and Scotland, they do not have to go through a complicated asylum process. I hope, and I am sure that Patricia Ferguson will agree, that before they arrive we will have identified their accommodation, their children’s primary schools and the wraparound care that they need to get on with their lives.
Members have talked about the huge numbers of people who are involved, but we should forget about the huge numbers just a little, because each individual and each family has a value and a human worth in their own right. When we take those vulnerable people in Scotland, let us ensure that we not only make them safe but give them the best possible experience to allow them to go forward from what has been a horrific experience. I hope that, one day, people will no longer have to flee from that part of Kurdistan, irrespective of who is in charge.
14:19
I thank Patricia Ferguson for bringing this matter to the Parliament for debate and I apologise for not signing her motion. I hope that she will accept this expression of sincere support for the motion in substitute for my failure to sign it, because I do support it. There are key issues that we need to discuss.
I thought that I would take a slightly different view and pose a question for all members who participate in the debate. This country has a record of involvement in conflicts in the middle east, and it is not always a good record. We started many years ago, when we intervened in the Balkans. We thought that that was a positive use of UK military force and that of our allies, and we held it up as an example of what can be achieved when we do the right thing in a timely fashion.
Subsequent experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan have significantly changed public opinion. When there was a call for us to intervene in Libya, I think that we reached a significant point in our consideration about what we can and should do in such situations.
The decision in the House of Commons on Syria was a watershed. It was a moment when people took a different view for the first time and decided that intervention was not appropriate and we should pursue a different course of action. The decision that was taken in the House of Commons led to similar decisions in a number of Parliaments around the world.
For the first time, we are trying to deal with a situation and find solutions largely through the diplomatic route rather than the military one. Whatever one’s view, such a route is worth pursuing and making a success of. The experiment that happened over the biological weapons issue demonstrated that the approach can work effectively when we all work together with a common interest.
However, many of the forces at work have failed adequately to deal with the refugee problem. If we could get the level of support on the refugee issue that we had on biological weapons, progress could be made much more quickly. The truth is that there is a road block in the United Nations and there is significant difficulty in finding a solution that will work quickly.
Not only are refugees spilling out from Syria into neighbouring countries, but there is some prospect and danger of the conflict itself beginning to spill out. For that reason, we need to redouble our efforts. Everything that is suggested in the motion is vital to success on behalf of the refugees. However, only a solution in Syria will deliver the opportunity for Syrian refugees to return to their homeland and live in peace.
That is an aspiration that I cannot steer us towards. It is therefore essential that we are all prepared to work together to do what we can for the refugees and continue the diplomatic effort. The problem with diplomacy is that it always takes time, and the refugees of Syria are running out of time.
14:23
I thank Patricia Ferguson for securing this debate and I thank the many charities and people, at local and at national level, who have donated money and their services to help the estimated 6.5 million people who are displaced and 2.4 million people who have sought refugee status in neighbouring countries.
I visited Syria a couple of years ago with my colleague Pauline McNeill, who is known to members. We met President Assad. He was very courteous and we were given free rein to go throughout Syria, visiting people in their homes, speaking to groups and visiting refugee camps. I found the warmth of the people to be fantastic and I thought that the country was absolutely beautiful—it is very sad that it has come to this.
I have spoken to friends in the refugee community—Patricia Ferguson mentioned the Maryhill Integration Network—and to others who live in Syria, Lebanon and other parts of the middle east, to ask them what has happened. I remember a beautiful country, where we spoke to people and were given dinner and overnight stays—and all of a sudden those people are becoming refugees and being killed in their thousands. What can we do?
As I said, I thank the charities that provide services, and we must all commit to that aid. However, we must also look at the international situation, which Alex Johnstone touched on.
Aid is vital. Along with others, I visited Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria, which was set up after the Israeli war in 1948. In that area, about 150,000 Palestinians live alongside Syrians. The Palestinians in that refugee camp had full access to employment, education and social services, unlike those in other countries in the middle east, but now, the people in the camp—Palestinians and Syrians—are starving to death. If anyone has seen the video on YouTube, they will have seen pictures of young children that they would not have wanted to see, going back to many years ago. That is the situation in refugee camps in Syria.
Patricia Ferguson and Claudia Beamish mentioned that Lebanon hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees—more than 1 million. Having visited Lebanon, Syria and other countries in the middle east, I am deeply saddened to see what they have come to. We need to ensure that aid is provided, but we also need to get the international community round the table.
Many things have happened in the middle east. Alex Johnstone mentioned interventions, which include illegal wars in Iraq and other things that we should never have been involved in. I agree that a diplomatic solution is needed. While we leave the middle east in its current situation—in relation to not just the Palestinians but others—what is happening will continue. I will still have troubled thoughts and my friends in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine will still have troubled thoughts.
When will this end? I appeal to the minister. I hope that he can speak to his Westminster counterpart and do something to let the world see that we cannot afford to let this beautiful region of the world—the middle east—go down its current road. Intervention is needed, but it must be diplomatic intervention.
14:27
I thank Patricia Ferguson for securing the debate. I also thank Oxfam, the British Red Cross and the Scottish Refugee Council for their briefings and all the work that they and other charities are doing in what is an incredibly difficult situation, as all colleagues have said.
It is impossible to look at the situation without a sense of despair. It is difficult to comprehend that a third of all Syrians—6.5 million people—have been displaced in Syria and that 2.4 million have left Syria. It is impossible to imagine the stress and strain that that is putting on people. Millions of people are living on camps and in makeshift settlements on borders.
Life in those camps is impossible for us to imagine. Patricia Ferguson highlighted well the impact on children. There is an impact on anyone who has been a refugee, but the lives that children are living, the level of disruption to their lives and the fact that the conflict has gone on for more than three years should force us to think about what more we can do. We should all agree to work together on Patricia Ferguson’s point that we should think about how the world and Scotland could add to the agenda. I am not asking for a response today, but I hope that ministers will take that point away and think about it.
We have had a tremendous impact in Malawi with focused actions from people and communities in Scotland, such as educationists and people in the health service. We could work with charities and our civic communities in Scotland to think about practical things that we can do to help Syrians.
As everyone else has said, the situation is desperate. The most recent attempts at peace talks failed last month, which was also when the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees stopped updating the death toll. The death toll rests at more than 100,000, but the UNHCR decided that it cannot verify deaths since July last year. That situation is horrendous. We know that the official death toll does not reflect reality.
The situation is difficult for people who live in Syria, on its borders and in exile, but it is also incredibly difficult for the charities that work in the region. The scale of conflict and the fact that charities are not even being recognised should concern us all. We need to thank those aid workers who are putting their lives on the line daily.
I agree with other members’ welcoming of the huge generosity that people across Scotland have shown. There are fantastic lessons that we can learn from that. I know that the Pakistan Society Edinburgh did work with Aid4All, which is a central Scotland-based charity. The report that they gave on their work was incredibly moving and served as a reality check. They talked about the provision of dentistry. People will be refugees for so long that the health of their teeth will be an important issue. Once someone has lost their teeth, they do not get them back. It was the human side of the tragedy that brought things home to people in the hall that night.
I would like to name check our former colleague Pauline McNeill. She organised salsa for Syria—a fundraising event on Sunday night—which Johann Lamont and I attended. It was a great success. We want to encourage people across the country to do whatever they can, regardless of the kind of community that they are involved in. When it comes to raising awareness of the situation in Syria and raising money for the refugees, we should do whatever works, because people need our support. We can act, not just in the Parliament but by helping to mobilise our communities.
We need to support calls for aid agency workers to have rapid and unimpeded access to the people who have been affected. They deserve nothing less, because they are putting their lives on the line and are acting for the world community, which objects to the horrendous situation in which the two sides will not agree peace. We must do everything that we can to support the people of Syria. We must add our influence by supporting the calls for a ceasefire and for the UK to do its bit by helping to take our share of Syrian refugees.
14:31
At the outset, I thank Patricia Ferguson for lodging her motion and I thank all those members who signed it. It is one of those debates that we would rather not be having, but the circumstances mean that it is important that we have it.
We have heard some highly impressive speeches, on some of which I will reflect. I will start with Bob Doris’s speech, which was an incredibly powerful and moving account. He said, quite rightly—and quite poignantly—that no one chooses to be a refugee. Regardless of the country or the conflict that someone is fleeing from, or the circumstances in which they find themselves, they do not choose to be a refugee.
Some of the statistics that have been mentioned, which I have seen in various briefings from the Scottish Refugee Council, UNHCR, the Red Cross and others, are staggering. The exodus of refugees out of Syria is equivalent to almost half—45 per cent—of the Scottish population, and more people than the entire population of Scotland have been internally displaced. The figures are mind boggling. I would not say that they do not matter—of course statistics matter—but it is almost impossible to comprehend them; I certainly struggle to do so. Although there is despair, as Sarah Boyack mentioned, we should not despair. We cannot allow ourselves to enter a cycle of hopelessness—not for our own sake, but for the sake of those Syrian refugees who are in camps in neighbouring countries.
As all members do, I condemn the violence unequivocally. It does not matter who perpetrates human rights atrocities; we condemn them unequivocally. That applies particularly to the use of chemical weapons. Chemical weapons are being used in emerging conflicts in that region, and the UK Government is right to be strong in its condemnation of that element of the conflict.
Practically, what can we do? Reference has been made to the Scottish Government’s contribution to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Syria appeal. Scots have been incredibly generous—thus far, they have raised £1.5 million. I applaud the leadership that the UK Government has shown by contributing £600 million to dealing with the situation. That shows real commitment to demonstrating leadership on the conflict in Syria.
Many Scottish charities have been mentioned. Jim Eadie mentioned Mercy Corps, which I have had the pleasure of working with since becoming a minister. I know about much of its work. I have also had conversations with Aid4All, the newly established charity that Sarah Boyack mentioned. Many members of church and faith groups and community and grass-roots organisations cannot bear to see the pictures from Syria on their television. They want to help and to play their part by doing something, and I applaud every one of them.
Sarah Boyack made a very important point about aid workers putting their lives at risk. Just last week, we saw Red Crescent workers in their ambulance being shot at in Homs. There they were, delivering to the poorest and the most needy, not giving a care for their own lives. When they got shot at, they said that they would come back in an hour. That shows an unbelievable humanitarian spirit, which deserves to be applauded.
Jim Eadie made a good point that the Arab spring is happening, and we should not forget it. It is therefore important to have this debate and to reflect on that, too.
One of the themes that was described particularly well by Sarah Boyack and Patricia Ferguson was the idea of what positive contribution Scotland could make. Sarah Boyack touched on the Malawi relationship, which is a good parallel in that respect. Scotland can make a good contribution where we have expertise. Education was mentioned by Patricia Ferguson, and I am more than happy to explore that idea. I know about some of the good work that Gordon Brown has done on education in the Punjab, having discussed it with Governor Sarwar—he was telling me about what Gordon Brown was doing in that regard. If there is something that we can do, I would be happy to speak to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning to explore what we can do on that front. If Patricia Ferguson has any ideas, I will look at them with an open mind.
Scotland has a history of welcoming refugees. Outside this chamber, we have an exhibition by the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities. That reminds us of Scotland’s contribution to taking Jewish refugees. Over the past 20 years, we have taken refugees from Bosnia, Kosovo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I am very proud that the First Minister was the first leader of a Government—certainly that we know of—to write to the UK Government to say that it should be taking Syrian refugees. He also said, quite rightly, that Scotland would be willing to play her part.
On Patricia Ferguson’s specific question, Theresa May has written to the First Minister to say that, following her announcement on 29 January, the UK Government will be looking to take Syrian refugees. The First Minister’s offer for Scotland to play her part was noted. As members will imagine, we have entered into discussions with the Home Office at official level. Those have also included stakeholders such as the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and its strategic migration partnership. I promise and will endeavour to keep Patricia Ferguson and the Parliament updated. As she will know, it will take time to rifle through the many issues, but we will ensure that we do that.
I started by discussing the importance of not losing hope and of not having too much despair. Throughout the speeches, I have been reminded, given the devastating nature of the conflict and the refugee crisis, of a Robert Burns quotation that will be familiar to us all:
“Man’s inhumanity to Man
Makes countless thousands mourn!”
In this case, it is countless millions. I then remembered another Burns quotation, which will also be familiar to all:
“That Man to Man the warld o’er,
Shall brothers be for a’ that.”
When it comes to our positive contribution to this conflict, it should be via that spirit of it not mattering where someone comes from, what side of the conflict they support, who bulldozed their home, or for what reason they had to leave their country—Scotland is prepared to stand with them, to open our arms to them, to welcome them to Scotland and to make this as much a home as it possibly can be.