THE call to house Syrian refugees in Furness has brought back many memories when the area welcomed scores of Kosovars escaping the conflict in the Balkans in 1999.

Around 100 refugees fled from the horrors of war and genocide to Ulverston where the community pulled together to make them feel safe.

The new arrivals were housed at the former Ulverston Victoria Lower School in Hart Street after they arrived on May 20 1999, and were handed donations of clothes, food and medicines following local collections.

Jim Hamezeian, hate crime and victim support officer at Furness Multicultural Community Forum in Barrow, said the current petition brought back memories from the late 1990s.

He said: “When the Kosovars came here, that’s when the multicultural community was formed. The welcome and help given to these people was amazing.

“Lots of people in Ulverston were absolutely fantastic in welcoming people from Kosovo.”

The Evening Mail newspaper at the time marked the arrival of the Kosovars with the front page headline: ‘Mirësevini në qytetin tonë’ which translates from Albanian as ‘Welcome to our town’.

Mr Hamezeian pointed to the hospitality of the residents of Furness at the time and the dignity shown to the refugees as an example of how society should be treating the people caught up in the current crisis in Europe.

He said: “At the end of the day it’s the war which has waged against the people in Libya, in Syria, in Afghanistan and in Iraq that has displaced so many people.

“The scene is absolutely dreadful. We’ve all watched the images of refugees in Greece, Hungary, Germany and France and the way they are being prevented coming in through the barbed wire, razor fencing and police charging into them after escaping from the mayhem in their own country.

“I admire those who have organised the petition. It’s a humanitarian gesture and it’s welcome.”