One of Scotland’s daily newspapers have taken a dramatic stand on the refugee crisis this morning – publishing a message of welcome to Syrian refugees who are due to arrive in Glasgow today.
The front page is honouring the first of three flights of refugees bound for the Scottish city today, welcoming those who are fleeing their home country in hopes of a safer future for their families.
The National, a paper originally established to support the campaign for Scotting independence, ran with the headline:
“To the first refugees fleeing war-torn Syria who will arrive at Glasgow Airport today, we’d just like to say: Welcome to Scotland.”
Our front page: As the first Syrian refugees arrive in Scotland tomorrow, we’d like to offer them a warm welcome pic.twitter.com/1zZ7fazcbS
— The National (@ScotNational) November 16, 2015
The moving front cover symbolised acceptance and warmth in a time of unease and distress for refugees, who face fresh discrimination in the wake of the Paris attacks.
According to Mashable, governors from Michigan, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin have decided to either pause or call for an outright ban on accepting refugees after reports that one of the Paris attackers may have made his way to France disguised as a refugee seeking asylum.
Speaking on Monday, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called for tolerance and compassion:
“We are due to welcome Syrian refugees to Scotland tomorrow and we need to show that we are a country of compassion and acceptance. These people are fleeing their homes in the search for protection and security, and we are their refuge. We cannot let the actions of the few destroy the safety of the many.”
