OXFORD is set to rehome 10 more Syrian families fleeing their country's brutal civil war.

City councillors have said they want to extend a scheme which has already rehoused 20 families since 2015.

Now the City Executive Board is set to officially approve to move on Wednesday.

Council leader Bob Price said he had been inspired by the scheme's success so far.

He said: "Our charity partners have done a fantastic job with the very difficult process of helping these families learn a new language, integrate into social life, get into work and acclimatise.

"Now, Oxford is seen as a national example.

"We are an international city where people are incredibly socially-aware and people want to help."

Of the 20 families rehomed in the city in two years, 17 of which are Syrian, all 45 children are now going to school in Oxford.

One of those is 13-year-old Amineh Abou Kerech, who goes to Oxford Spires Academy, and who in October made the front page of the Oxford Mail when she won the national Betjeman Poetry Prize.

The 43 adults are all now learning English and seven of them have managed to get jobs so far, while others are still searching.

Mr Price said all the families had the potential to benefit the city.

He said: "It certainly benefits Oxford in a number of ways – firstly we are getting people who have skills for the local economy.

"We are bringing in young people who are going into education who will contribute to the economy, and we also bringing to the city the influence of their culture."

Most of Oxford’s families came through the government-led Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (SVPR) and Vulnerable Children’s Relocation Scheme (VCRS).

In total, 17 families came through SVPRS, and three arrived as part of VCRS.

The government has now extended the program for two years

All the families who have or will be moved to Oxford are deemed ‘especially vulnerable'.

To be included in that category, residents will have suffered physical and psychological injuries and detention at some point.

They may have needed to flee their homes or even witness its destruction and could have also been separated from family members.

Many of the families have a member suffering from a serious health condition.

Kate Smart, of refugee charity Asylum Welcome which helps the city rehome families, said finding jobs was the next big challenge.

She said: "One man who was a doctor in Syria is only getting offered work in restaurants.

"We have people who have skills in carpentry and tailoring, but a lot of them have arrived with no English, so we have started them on introductory courses.

"That is the one thing they are complaining about to us more than anything – finding employment."

Asylum Welcome is currently running a fundraising appeal to keep an employment project running after council funding runs out.

The City Executive Board will meet at Oxford Town Hall at 5pm on Wednesday.