THE number of Syrian refugees housed in East Lothian has fallen short of a target set four years ago, with demand for housing named as a factor.

East Lothian Council pledged to house seven families from Syria annually for five years in 2015 after a national call for help from the UK Government.

However, a report on the project has revealed that only 18 households – about 70 refugees – had moved into the county over the last four years.

It said issues with meeting other housing demands played a part in the role but pointed out that Scotland met its national target of bringing in 2,000 Syrian refugees within two years of announcing the five-year project and had now housed 20 per cent of all refugees coming into the UK.

A report by council officers said: “The shortfall is for a variety of reasons, not least the housing demand pressure the council is under and the significant range of other particular needs groups and households that it has a legal duty or policy commitment to rehouse.

“Although this has fallen short of the commitment made, it is in the context that at a national level Scotland has significantly exceeded the 2,000-person target made in 2015.”

The rehoming scheme ends next month and is being replaced by a new UK global resettlement scheme.

The scheme will identify the most vulnerable refugees who need to be rehomed, expanding beyond the Middle East and North Africa.

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “‘Through CoSLA, all Scottish councils were informed of a new global UK settlement programme being introduced in April this year which will subsume the former Syrian Resettlement Programme.

“Fuller details of East Lothian Council’s expected participation in this new scheme will be the basis of a report to a forthcoming cabinet for consideration.”