TWENTY-EIGHT refugee families have arrived in Gwent as part of a national resettlement and relocation programme.

Since 2015, the five local authorities have supported the UK Government’s Syrian resettlement and vulnerable persons resettlement programmes.

The schemes are designed to help those affected by crises in the Middle East and North African regions, notably Syria.

So far, the highest number of relocated families have arrived in Newport with nine, followed by Torfaen - six, Caerphilly and Monmouthshire - both five and Blaenau Gwent - three.

Newport City Council has met just under a fifth of its pledged target, but two further families are set to arrive in the future.

A spokeswoman from Newport City Council said: “Newport City Council is committed to taking in 50 households in line with its pledge in 2016.

“To date, we have relocated nine families with two more due to arrive imminently.”

Earlier this month, Torfaen council’s cabinet agreed to take four more families over the next two years, taking the total to 10.

A spokesman for Torfaen council added that the authority was committed to supporting 10 families over the course of the programme.

In Monmouthshire, a quarter of the pledged allocation has arrived in the county, totalling 25 vulnerable persons across five families.

“Monmouthshire County Council has worked with Displaced People in Action, Abergavenny Town of Sanctuary and the VPRS team of Newport City Council to support the resettlement of five households to the county,” said a Monmouthshire council spokesman.

“The council made a pledge to support the relocation of 20 households over the course of the programme and intends to meet this commitment.

“Twenty-five individuals have been supported by the council since our participation began in 2016.”

Neither Blaenau Gwent nor Caerphilly councils set pledge amounts to the Home Office, but are open to taking further families of refugees and vulnerable persons.

A spokeswoman for Caerphilly County Borough Council said: “Caerphilly County Borough Council has welcomed and is supporting 22 refugees – five families – into the area since the beginning of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS).

“We remain fully committed to supporting families through this scheme in the future.

“There was never specific limit to the number of families that the council would commit to support.

“We’re committed to supporting as many families as possible that are identified through the programme, in line with the availability of sustainable accommodation and local capacity of services.”

Three families have been resettled in Blaenau Gwent and according to the council, the process has started with a view to relocate another family to the county borough.

“Following a request by the UK Government, Blaenau Gwent council fully pledged its support for the Syrian Refugee Resettlement Programme and made a commitment to respond compassionately,” said a Blaenau Gwent council spokeswoman.

“So far, we have successfully settled three families here in Blaenau Gwent. We are currently starting the process again, looking at accommodation and schools, in order to look at resettling another family soon.

“The council remains committed to working in partnership with other agencies and alongside our local communities to ensure the support we provide to new arrivals, and families already relocated into the borough, provides the necessary assistance for refugees to gain independence and become fully active members of their new community.

“We remain committed to working closely with the Welsh Government, the UK Government and local partners to respond to the refugee situation."