Syrian refugees to be housed in Archbishop of Canterbury’s LUXURY Lambeth palace

Syrian refugees to be housed in Archbishop of Canterbury's LUXURY Lambeth palace

The refugee family are currently living in a cottage at Archbishop Welby's official London residence after the Church agreed to put them up and fund their new life in Britain.

The Archbishop is going to be directly involved in helping the refugees acclimatise to life in the UK.

His staff will also helped teach them about the area, how to use public transport and help them try and find jobs.

The scheme, named The Full Community Sponsorship, was launched by Home Secretary Amber Rudd where she met the family at Lambeth Palace.

The sponsor of the Syrian family in Lambeth Palace is the first in Britain which sees churches, faith groups and businesses support refugees.

More than 160 local authorities have voluntarily signed up to accept refugees.

Ms Rudd said: "The response of the British public to the refugee crisis has been one of overwhelming generosity and many have been moved to make kind offers of assistance.

"This is a ground-breaking new development for resettlement in the UK and I wholeheartedly encourage organisations that can help to offer their support."

"I hope that this new approach will help bring communities together and support these often traumatised and vulnerable families as they rebuild their lives, and contribute to and thrive in our country."

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said: "Refugees, like all people, are treasured human beings, made in the image of God, who deserve safety, freedom and the opportunity to flourish.

"It is an enormous privilege to welcome a family to live in a cottage in the grounds of Lambeth Palace."

Previous Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to allow 20,000 Syrian refugees to start new lives in Britain over the course of the current government, which is due to conclude in 2020.