Labour Lord offers shelter to young Syrian refugee

Lord Steve Bassam of Brighton and his wife Jill helped a young Syrian woman apply for asylum in the UK while she finished her Masters degree.

After staying with the pair for five months, the 28-year-old has now gained asylum, and has found a place to rent in London.

Lord Bassam said: “For some while both Jill and myself have been concerned with refugees. We took a trip to the jungle, collected food and clothes a couple of times, and when we came back we thought we would like to so some more work on it.

“Clearly some refugees are not being housed very speedily.

“Jill contacted Refugees at Home and we said we would be happy to accommodate refugees seeking asylum. We did exactly that. We had a girl staying with us who was finishing her Masters. She is Syrian, from Aleppo. She came over here a couple of years ago.

“We have got a bit of an empty nest, our kids have grown up. We can provide space and we are quite happy to do so.”

He said it is likely he and his wife will help other refugees, and hoped his story would be reassuring to those thinking of doing the same.

Lord Bassam serves as Labour’s chief whip in the House of Lords, and was leader of Brighton Council from 1987 until 1999.