(CS) Family and Integration Minister Corinne Cahen on Tuesday welcomed a group of 43 Syrian refugees, who travelled to Luxembourg from a refugee camp in Turkey.

Eight families – 16 adults and 27 children – were greeted by the minister, who was joined by Yves Piron, director of Luxembourg welcome and integration office OLAI, and Ernest Walerius, mayor of Berdorf.

Another woman with two children will arrive tomorrow.

To help them settle in Luxembourg, the refugees will find a temporary home at Foyer Héliar in Weilerbach, in the commune of Berdorf. OLAI has been charged with assisting the refugees, for example with administrative tasks, but also social follow-up, housing and educational support for the children.

Children aged under 13 will be integrated in specialised classes at the Héliar centre. The teenagers in the group will be placed in welcome classes at secondary school level. Language classes will also be offered to the parents.

In April 2014, Luxembourg had already welcomed 28 Syrian refugees in a transfer from a refugee camp in Jordan. The transfers are aimed at relieving the burden placed on Syria’s neighbours. Over three million Syrians have fled to Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, according to UNHCR data.

The Syrian nationals arriving in Luxembourg do not appear on the Grand Duchy’s asylum seeker statistics as were previously granted refugee status and do not need to undergo the application procedure again in Luxembourg.

The transfer will in part be financed through the new asylum, migration and integration 2014 – 2020 fund.