MORE than 40 people packed into a public meeting in Nailsworth on Friday evening to hear Stroud’s MP discuss his views on the refugee crisis.

Conservative Neil Carmichael discussed the government’s policy and practises towards helping the ongoing crisis and settling asylum seekers in the UK.

In a Q&A style meeting, he discussed efforts so far and focused on what action needs to be done over the coming months and years.

The event, organised by Nailsworth Churches Together, saw dozens pack into the Christ Church in New Market Road.

Members of the church group were joined by residents, campaigners and members of RefugeeAid-Stroud.

Their questions to the MP raged from integration into the community to the issue of unaccompanied children seeking refuge in the UK.

Mr Carmichael was also questioned on the obstacles those seeking to claim refugee status face in this country.

Other topics raised included the UK government’s policy towards and co-operation with human rights abuses such as Saudi Arabia and about how refugees that reached Turkey from Syria were being monitored to prevent radicalisation.

Mr Carmichael said strong leadership from the top of government and the role of local churches were both important for dealing with integration at a local level.

He stressed the importance of the Borders Agency treating all people properly and the need for all children to be treated appropriately and said that the Department of International Development should be monitoring how the aid sent to Turkey was spent in the right way.

To deal with radicalisation in the UK, the chair of the Education Committee argued there should be a universal school registration system with no schools operating outside Ofsted.

“I really enjoyed attending the Churches Together meeting last week, where I reiterated that Britain is a moral nation and we will fulfil our moral responsibilities,” he said.

“We continue to be at the forefront of the international response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, including as the second biggest bilateral donor of humanitarian aid, having already pledged £2.3 billion.”

Churches Together in Nailsworth are holding their next meeting on Thursday, September 22.

The UK government has so far agreed to provide refuge for up to 20,000 refugees from Syria by 2020.

Stroud is currently home to one family of refugees from the civil-war-torn country.