Stewartry’s Deputy Lord Lieutenant has called on Dumfries and Galloway to get ready for an influx of Ukrainian refugees.
Chris Walker has written to the council’s interim chief executive Derek Crichton asking for a number of buildings to be made ready for the imminent arrival of people fleeing the conflict with Russia.
Mr Walker, who runs The Selkirk Arms in Kirkcudbright, said: “We must be ready for the flow of refugees that is surely going to come here when nearly three million people will be displaced from their homes and cities and push their way across the borders into Poland and Romania.
“We must be ready to welcome them and offer them shelter.
“We need to put the old DGRI on standby. Let’s get it ready and get beds back in it. The nurses block next door is sitting empty. The Crichton Hall is being made into a five star hotel but until then lets get in it.
“There are plenty of other places on the Crichton campus so let’s be ready to take people in, check their paperwork and authenticity.
“Let’s be compassionate, offer them shelter and warmth. Then we can match them with families, people who are happy to take refugees in and give them food, warmth and shelter.”
He described it as “the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War Two”.
