Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby launches community refugee sponsorship scheme in Britain

Archbishop Justin Welby and Home Secretary Amber Rudd launched Tuesday, July 19 a new scheme that enables British communities to sponsor Syrian refugees.

The head of the Church of England worked together with the U.K.'s new home secretary to encourage Britons to support Syrian refugees, who they assured have passed a rigorous vetting process.

"The full community sponsorship scheme presents churches and other civil society groups with the opportunity to provide sanctuary to those fleeing war-torn places," said the archbishop during a press conference at Lambeth Palace.

Archbishop Welby stressed that refugees "like all people, are treasured human beings, made in the image of God, who deserve safety, freedom and the opportunity to flourish."

He also proposed to take in at least 20 Syrian refugees to the Lambeth Palace last year. Earlier this month, the Lambeth Council announced they've already selected at least four Syrian families to move in a cottage in Lambeth. The first of the families already arrived and was welcomed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and Rudd.

Rudd said the experience of meeting the family firsthand "really moved" her.

"I am just delighted that the Church of England has got involved in such a positive way to enable this one family to be resident here who are going to be starting a brilliant life in the UK," Christian Today quoted her as saying.

The 52-year-old former Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, who replaced Theresa May as Home Secretary after the latter's ascension as Prime Minister, expressed her hope that the "ground-breaking new development" would unite together organizations in the U.K. to support the "traumatized and vulnerable" families.

"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," said Rudd.

Sponsors to the scheme need to be recognized as charity or community interest company before they could provide assistance in medical and social services, education and support towards employment and self-sufficiency.

Ordinary citizens can also choose from a range of donations of goods, housing and fostering through the website "Help Refugees in the UK." The online service piloted in the nine local authorities of City of Nottingham, Broxtowe, Wiltshire, Cornwall, Cambridge, Coventry, Gateshead, City of York and Lambeth.