Jordan Set to Open Schools to All Syrian Children
Jordan said it would make room at its schools for all Syrian children starting this week. Boosted by foreign aid, the kingdom said it was adding more shifts and hiring thousands of teachers.
More than 90,000 Syrian refugee children in Jordan were unable to attend school last year. Hundreds of thousands more in neighboring countries were similarly excluded, prompting warnings of a “lost generation.”
Hassan al-Ahmed, a Syrian refugee, signed up his two children for the first grade on September 1 in Zarqa, northeast of the capital, Amman. The family fled Syria in 2014 and the children hadn’t been able to attend school before but were told they could register this year.
“The most important thing for me is to have my kids in school,” al-Ahmed, 30, told the Associated Press. “If my kids don’t go to school, they can’t do anything in life.”
Scotland Receives Its 1,000th Refugee, Aims to Take More
Some 120 Syrians arrived in Scotland in the past week, taking the country to a 1,000-refugee landmark. Scotland has so far settled one-third of all refugees arriving in the U.K.
Britain has committed to taking 20,000 Syrian refugees over the next five years but has struggled to persuade local authorities to take part.
Angela Constance, the Scottish government’s equalities secretary, said, “It is a great credit that 29 out of 32 local authorities in Scotland have now taken Syrian refugees, in marked contrast to what has happened south of the border.”
Constance added, “It’s important that we remember the refugee crisis is not over. I am particularly concerned about unaccompanied children, and we will continue to urge the U.K. government to accept more refugees.”
Second Operator to Quit Australia’s Offshore Detention Centers
A security company said it would cease working at Australia’s offshore migrant camps. Wilson Security said it would not renew its contract at Manus Island and Nauru detention centers when it ends next year.
The announcement follows a similar step by the firm Broadspectrum, and leaves Australia without an operator for its camps beyond the existing contract.
Wilson and Broadspectrum, which is owned by Spanish giant Ferrovial, have faced pressure from activists appalled at the conditions in which refugees and migrants are kept at the centers.
Recommended Reads:
- The Guardian: The Death of Alan Kurdi: One Year on, Compassion Towards Refugees Fades
- The Washington Diplomat: Overwhelmed Greece Pleads for Help Ahead of U.N. Refugee Summit
- USA Today: Stunning Images Capture Harsh Reality of Refugee Crisis for Children
- IRIN: Malnutrition Rates in Nigeria ‘Horrifying’
- British Future: What Next After Brexit? Immigration & Integration in Post-Referendum Britain