Councils take in 140 Syrian refugees over the next five years
Black Country councils will take in 140 refugees from war-torn Syria over the next five years, it has been revealed.
Wolverhampton Council has pledged to help 100 people by 2020, while Dudley will accommodate 20 over the next five years. Walsall will take in 20 Syrian refugees up to May.
Staffordshire County Council has already taken in 51 people from the Middle Eastern country, while Dudley has housed two families.
Sandwell Council leader Councillor Steve Eling said the borough had taken in a 'fairly disproportionate amount of refugees' already.
Prime Minister Theresa May declared that the UK would resettle up to 20,000 refugees from the Middle East and North Africa by 2020.
Around 400,000 people have been killed in Syria since the war between the Government and rebels began almost six years ago, the United Nations estimates.
Thousands have fled their homeland since the war, with many taking treacherous and life-threatening journeys across the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe.
Walsall North MP David Winnick said: "I think people on the whole, with some exceptions, will recognise the plight of those involved.
"When one considers what those people have been through in Syria, it is difficult to understand why there should be any protest about this."
"If anyone thinks I am going to stir up hostility to those who face nightmares, which we would find hard to imagine, then they can think again."
Refugees are assessed on their vulnerability before coming to the UK, and are resettled under the Syrian Resettlement Programme.
Those eligible include children; adolescents and woman at risk; survivors of violence and torture; and people at risk due to their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Across the country there are 12 local government-led organisations that help to place refugees into the hands of councils from central government.
These groups speak to council chiefs about how many refugees each local authority would be be willing to take on.
Refugees are also assessed on their legal and physical protection needs; medical needs and disabilities; and if they have any family links in resettlement countries.
Faye Jeffery, regional resettlement manager for the West Midlands at Refugee Action, said: "Our dedicated staff and volunteers are working closely with our local partners to ensure these individuals and families, who have faced unimaginable horrors, are supported to rebuild their lives with dignity.
"It's great to see the Government's pledge to bring 20,000 Syrians to Britain by 2020 becoming a reality as communities all over the country are choosing to welcome refugees to their areas."