A Scottish newspaper offered a warm message to Syrian refugees arriving in the country this week.
"To the first refugees fleeing war-torn Syria who will arrive at Glasgow Airport today, we'd just like to say: Welcome to Scotland," read the front cover of The National on Tuesday.
Over 100 refugees arrived in Scotland on Tuesday afternoon, part of the U.K. plan to take in at least 1,000 people by Christmas. The Scottish government has been vocal about its support for the effort, setting up a government task force to help refugees resettle.
“These people are fleeing their homes in the search for protection and security, and we are their refuge," First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Monday, following Friday's deadly attacks in Paris. "We cannot let the actions of the few destroy the safety of the many.”
The newspaper's warm welcome offered a sharp contrast to the message many American politicians were sending this week. Over half of U.S. governors have said they want to turn away Syrian refugees.
"American humanitarian compassion could be exploited to expose Americans to similar deadly danger," Texas Gov. Greg Abott (R) said.
HuffPost is keeping a running tally of the states attempting to refuse Syrians. While most of those states are run by Republicans, New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan was the first Democrat to call for a complete freeze of Syrian refugees entering the U.S. until the government can “ensure robust refugee screening.” Some Republicans in Congress, including House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) are also joining the push to block humanitarian passage to those fleeing war and violence in Syria.
President Barack Obama vowed earlier this year to take in at least 10,000 refugees displaced by Syria's brutal civil war. He reiterated that promise this week, saying that turning away people in their time of need "would be a betrayal of our values."
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