Welby and the British Home Office took the initiative in an attempt to encourage members of the public, community groups, faith groups, charities and businesses to sponsor refugee families resettling in the UK.

The full community sponsorship scheme is intended to help the government fulfil its commitment to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK before 2020.

About 1,800 refugees have been resettled so far, less than 10% of the total.

Over the past year there have been numerous ad hoc and sometimes chaotic efforts by community groups and members of the public to provide aid to refugees waiting to come to the UK.

Donations of food, clothing, books and household goods, plus offers of accommodation in spare rooms, have overwhelmed social action groups.

Launching the Syrian refugee scheme at Lambeth Palace, the home secretary, Amber Rudd, said: "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."

She said the sponsorship scheme was "a groundbreaking development for resettlement in the UK and I wholeheartedly encourage organisations that can help to offer their support".

Source

• The Guardian
• Image: Wazobians.com

A spokesman for Archbishop Justin Welby noted that Jesus was a refugee.

The spokesman said a four-bedroom cottage at Lambeth Palace in London could house a "family or two", adding that the archbishop would pay for this "out of his own discretionary fund".

The archbishop has been considering the move for "a while", his office said, and the cottage is currently being redecorated.

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The Tablet reported that the 16 young people, who are yet to be selected, with study, live and pray at the London palace from September, 2015.

To be known as the Community of St Anselm, they will live in a monastic lifestyle with the Church of England primate, Archbishop Justin Welby, who will be the community's abbot.

The French Catholic community Chemin Neuf, which moved into Lambeth Palace this year at the Archbishop's invitation, will support the project.

Archbishop Welby predicted the venture would have a radical impact on the Church.

The 16 will be supported by up to 40 part-time community members who live and work in London.

Applications for community members from anywhere in the world, full- and part-time, will open early next year and must be from people aged between 20 and 35.

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