Aberdeenshire backs a call from Huntly Councillor, Gwyneth Petrie to do everything in its power to help Ukrainian refugees
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Huntly and Strathbogie Councillor, Gwyneth Petrie yesterday led a call that Aberdeenshire Council reaffirm its commitment of Aberdeenshire to the resettlement of refugees forced to flee from the war in Ukraine.
Cllr Petrie, Leader of the Partnership group was seconded by Cllr Alison Evison, and received unanimous support from all Councillors present.
Cllr Gwyneth Petrie said of the humanitarian crisis: “We have all watched in horror as the events in Ukraine have unfolded over the last two weeks, and the impact of the illegal invasion of the country are all too apparent.
“It has now been confirmed that over two million people have fled Ukraine, and yet by this morning, only 760 visas have been issued for some of these people to enter the UK. This simply isn’t good enough, and the UK Government must do more, and do it more quickly, to address this growing humanitarian crisis.
“Aberdeenshire has a strong record on welcoming refugees, and I very much appreciate the unanimous support of fellow Councillors for this motion today.
“We stand ready to support and welcome those who have made that unimaginably difficult decision to leave their homes in Ukraine, and we extend the hand of friendship to them."
Cllr Alison Evison, added: "There is an overwhelming need for our council to step up and do more and it was good to see our motion agreed unanimously. We reached out collectively in support and solidarity to the people of the Ukraine.
"I hope that our statement will help make a difference to current UK Government policy. Many of those leaving Ukraine are women and children and we must be aware of the particular dangers they face and do all we can to help them reach safety.
"So much could be done to help those fleeing if the expertise in councils such as ours was recognised, built upon and resourced."
