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PM Kopacz: Poland to take on 60 Syrian families

PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea 26.05.2015 16:41
As many as 60 Syrian Christian families could be given refugee status in Poland, Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz said following an inter-ministerial meeting on Tuesday.
PM Kopacz addressed a press conference on Tuesday. Photo: PAP/Radek PietruszkaPM Kopacz addressed a press conference on Tuesday. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka

Representatives of the Interior Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and the Office for Foreigners met on Tuesday morning to discuss the prospect of giving asylum to about 1,500 Syrian Christians.

“Today Christians are persecuted in a barbaric way in Syria, they deserve that a Christian country such as Poland responds fairly quickly with an offer for help,” Kopacz said.

She added that this decision was unanimous at the meeting, which was attended by Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna and Interior Minister Teresa Piotrowska.

“We'll start with taking on 60 families. It must be a very precise schedule of activities. We will count on the cooperation of local authorities, as well as, we hope, and we expected such cooperation when we took on Ukrainians from the Donbass region,” Kopacz said.

A programme to help the refugees assimilate into Polish society has already been prepared, and the costs are theoretically to be covered by organisations and individuals cooperating with the Ester Foundation, which is led by activist Miriam Shaded.

The next meeting on the matter is due to take place on Thursday.

Syrian Christian leaders initially appealed to Miriam Shaded in late 2014, and the foundation was created thereafter.

It has been estimated that 200,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began in 2011, when the Free Syrian Army took up arms against President Bashar al-Assad. (rg/nh)

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