TORFAEN is set to join a Government backed scheme to help alleviate the Syrian refugee crisis.

Thousands of people have been displaced by the crisis brought home by the harrowing image of a three-year-old Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi, washed up on a Turkish beach.

Today Torfaen Cabinet agreed in principle to participate in the relocation of refugees through the UK Government backed Syrian Vulnerable Person Relocation Scheme.

The scheme would give refugees including families the opportunity to move to the UK and be offered humanitarian protection.

In Torfaen, generous people have already donated an estimated 500 bags full of clothes and other goods for people in Syria and other parts of the world like Calais.

Cllr David Daniels, of Torfaen Aid for Refugees, said they had been “overwhelmed” by the donations.

The Facebook group is to help coordinate a delivery to the Syria Relief charity in Manchester in mid October.

Meanwhile, the group will help to send food, clothes and toiletries to Calais with the assistance of Noddfa church in Abersychan at around the same time.

The UK is planning to relocate and resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees of the term of this Parliament at a rate of 400 a month, a Cabinet report showed.

Welsh Government will play a co-ordinating role and set up a national taskforce to manage a successful integration programme.

Councils in Wales have been offered the opportunity to participate in the scheme.

Cllr Daniels, Torfaen council Cabinet member for communities, believes the scheme could make a huge difference to the lives of refugees.

He said: “It’s families that have been displaced from their homes they have built over their lifetime.

“It’s kids’ education and it’s left people without their careers.

“It gives people the opportunity to have some stability and maybe get back on their feet.

“It’s an act of humanity. These are vulnerable people who have gone through stuff we can only have nightmares about.

“We would be on the wrong side of history if we neglected to help them.”

The parish of All Saints in Torfaen has also offered to help with the refugee crisis. For more information, check Torfaen Aid for Refugees on Facebook.