AFGHAN families who have been resettled in North Ayrshire have said that they are happy and feel welcomed by their new communities.

Leader of North Ayrshire Council, Joe Cullinane, recently visited some of the families resettled in the area over the last two years.

Zabi Zabiullah is 26 and his young family, including Rasheed who was born at Crosshouse Hospital in April, have been warmly welcomed by the community.

Zabi has a part time job in a food outlet and says everything is ‘going great’ and that he has ‘great neighbours’.

Zabi and his family are just one of a number families who arrived in North Ayrshire between January and September 2015 after the National Security Council agreed a package of measures to help Afghan nationals who had been working for the UK Government in Afghanistan.

As part of the resettlement package, the council’s Housing Team worked closely with the families to help them build new lives in North Ayrshire.

Refugee support manager Steven Caddis and housing support worker Terry Watson have played a vital role from the day they arrived on these shores according to Zabi.

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Zabi said: “When you arrive in a new country, away from your friends and family, it is quite scary. You don’t know anything about the place you are going too.

“But we have been made to feel so welcome by everyone here. The people have been so friendly and nice to us. We have nice neighbours who ask us how we are doing and have helped us.

“Terry and the team have been brilliant helping us settle and organising things for us.

“We don’t need them as much now because we have more of a settled life but know that we can go to them if we need anything.”

During his visit, Councillor Cullinane also met Mustafa and his wife Saleha and learned how their three children are integrated and happy at local schools.

Councillor Cullinane said: “It can’t have been easy for them – can you imagine leaving everything behind and travelling thousands of miles away to start a life?

“They all must have been incredibly nervous and frightened. It’s a huge credit to our team that they all settled so quickly.

“I went out with Terry and Steven and met four families. You can see the rapport that they have with the families. You can see the respect that they have for Terry and Steven and there is a real trust and, also, friendship there.

“What I got from this visit was the sense that these families are incredibly genuine, proud, honest and hard working.

“They are also happy. A big part of that is that they have been welcomed with open arms by the community.”