THE leader of Barnet council has said the borough will help resettle 50 Syrian refugees.

Councillor Richard Cornelius made the announcement at an event by Citizens UK on Sunday (September 27).

Earlier this month, the Prime Minister pledged to take up to 20,000 Syrian refugees from camps bordering the war-torn country by 2020.

David Cameron said the UK had a "moral responsibility" to help those forced to live in camps, while also doing all it can to end the conflict there.

Cllr Cornelius, who has led Barnet council since 2011, said: “It is impossible to feel anything other than compassion towards those being impacted by the horrendous conflict in Syria.

“Barnet will play its part in helping the Government achieve its commitment to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK by 2020 and we await further details about what this means for London.

“On 27 September, I attended an event by Citizens UK and gave my support to their initiative to resettle 50 Syrian refugees within the borough.”

Cllr Cornelius added: “In the meantime, we have set up a web page offering guidance for residents and businesses who want to offer their support and have a dedicated email account for people to tell us about local initiatives that we can support.

“The website will be updated as we continue to offer practical support and guidance for those wishing to do their bit in helping alleviate this humanitarian crisis.”

A cross-party meeting on the refugee crisis was also held in Barnet last week.

Speaking afterwards, Councillor Alison Moore, leader of Barnet’s Labour group, said: “The local community has already shown great energy, goodwill and compassion in organising initiatives to help Syrian families trying to reach a safe haven, and we believe that the council is well placed to be able to show leadership on this issue.

“Following our meeting we hope to hear soon what contribution Barnet council can make – as Cllr Cornelius and I have both said in previous statements, Barnet has a proud history of welcoming those seeking refuge. It’s important that we now step up and say what we can do.”

The council’s dedicated webpage can be visited at www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/news/Supporting-Syrian-refugees-in-Barnet-.html and the email is refugeesupport@barnet.gov.uk