It is more practical to support refugees by donating to the United Nations than by accommodating them in the island, according to Chief Minister Howard Quayle.

Mr Quayle was responding to a question from Rushen member Juan Watterson, who wanted to know if a decision whether or not to accept refugees would be voted on in Tynwald.

Mr Quayle told the court if the island accepted refugees, it would be bound by various rules and regulations governing how they were treated and resources made available to them, which, as a small island, may not be easy to provide.

’Many of these are people have suffered terribly and they need support that it’s felt is not available in the Isle of Man.

’With the money available, it was felt we could better help by going through the United Nations, providing money for medicines and other aid,’ he said.

Responding to a suggestion from David Anderson, MLC, that the government was shirking its responsiblilities, Mr Quayle said it was a question of what was most economically effective for the people concerned .

’For the cost of looking after one Syrian family in the Isle of Man, we could help perhaps 1,000 by going through the UN,’ he said.

’I take issue with the comment. It’s simply that we have a set amount of money available and this was the best way forward.

’We do not have proper facilities for trauma, there is no Syrian community here, we do not speak their language and we would have to get interpreters, so it’s not a case of not caring , from the Council of Ministers’ point of view.’