SCOTTISH councils have reached their goal of resettling 10 per cent of Syrian refugees brought to the UK, three years ahead of schedule.

The UK government made a commitment to take in 20,000 people fleeing the country, which has been in civil war since 2011, with Scotland agreeing to resettle 2000 of them over five years.

That was back in 2015, and today – with the support of Cosla – Scottish councils mark the arrival of the 2000th refugee under the Syrian Resettlement Programme three years early.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon praised the “hard work and dedication” of local authorities for meeting the target well ahead of schedule.

Figures released earlier this month showed that Scotland had so far taken in 20 per cent of Syrian refugees through the UK Government-funded initiative.

The achievement will be marked today when the UK immigration minister Brandon Lewis joins the First Minister and the UK representative to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, at Cosla’s headquarters in Edinburgh.

“Scottish local government has responded to its moral duty to help and protect those whose lives have been torn apart by war,” said Cosla president Alison Evison.

“We are proudly leading the way in our commitment to the Syrian Resettlement Programme.

“Council staff and communities across Scotland have truly gone the extra mile to reach the 2000 goal – working tirelessly to make all the preparations for their new arrivals, finding suitable homes, helping to settle children into school and supporting adults to find employment.

“I am delighted to say our commitment does not stop with the initial goal that we set for ourselves at the start of Scotland’s involvement in the programme,” she added.

“As long as we are given the resources and support to do so, COSLA is prepared to continue to assist our councils so that more families can be brought to safety.”

Politicians from all 32 councils in Scotland have supported the decision to keep the voluntary scheme open, with further arrivals already expected in January and February.

The First Minister said reaching the milestone displayed Scotland’s reputation as open and welcoming, adding: “In 2015 I made a commitment that we would take our fair share of Syrian refugees coming to the UK and the hard work and dedication of local authorities across Scotland has meant we have more than met that pledge.

“I am proud that Scotland has welcomed so many refugees fleeing persecution and war into our communities so they can rebuild their lives here.”

Lewis said that Scotland and the rest of the UK should be proud of the way it has welcomed some of the most vulnerable refugees.

He said: “I am extremely grateful for the support that Cosla and the Scottish Government have given to the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme and Vulnerable Children’s Scheme so far and hope that this will continue as we move forward, on track, to meet our commitment to resettle 23,000 refugees in the UK by 2020.”