A SCHEME finding homes for asylum seekers in the UK will see five families moved into Caerphilly county borough.

Earlier this week the county borough council's agreed to take part in an ‘asylum dispersal’ pilot. An asylum dispersal area is a designated place where the council has agreed with the Home Office that it will provide support for asylum seekers.

Caerphilly is the latest to join the scheme – which is already being run in Newport, Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Conwy.

Five families will be supported in the Caerphilly borough by the council and Clearsprings Ready Homes. The organisation will be responsible for sourcing suitable private rental properties in areas that meet the needs of each of the families.

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Cllr Philippa Marsden, leader of the council, said: “The trauma that asylum seekers have experienced, in fleeing fear and persecution in their home county, is unimaginable. We’re proud to offer a place of sanctuary to these families, by giving our commitment to become a dispersal area.

“We also recognise the wealth of new skills and experience that refugees and asylum seekers bring to our communities. As a council we already have positive experiences of refugees settling in the county borough, having taken part in the UK Resettlement Scheme for a number of years.

“All costs of accommodating asylum seekers are met by central government and no timescales have been decided yet for families being dispersed to the Caerphilly county borough.”

For more information on the asylum dispersal scheme visit www.caerphilly.gov.uk/Services/Housing/Asylum-dispersal