THE first of at least 2000 Syrian refugees expected to be given sanctuary in Scotland will arrive in the country by the end of the month.

Following talks yesterday between local authorities, the Home Office and Scottish Government, several hundred refugees will be flown from camps in Jordan and Turkey and accommodated in Scotland by Christmas.

Parliament was told yesterday that the first 60 or so would be housed in Glasgow by the close of October.

The council said it expected the arrivals to be greeted with zero "fanfare".

At this stage 18 councils have signalled that they will be prepared to receive refugees by December, with 'pre-arrival work', including preparing host communities and local networks, starting now that concrete plans have been agreed.

The Herald understands local councils are anticipating the 20,000 refugees Prime Minister David Cameron has said the UK will accept to be revised upwards in the near future, increasing the number then coming to Scotland from the current estimate.

There has also been debate amongst the councils, Scottish and |UK Governments and specialist agencies as to whether reception centres could be required in the future.

Sources within local government said most councils favoured continuing with the present system of having refugees in their own accommodation within 24 hours of arriving in Scotland.

But one source said: "If early in the New Year we're chartering flights with 400 people directly from camps on the Syrian border to Scotland via RAF Leuchars or somewhere, the current system might change.

"You would still only be talking 40 people going to an individual authority, which they could handle, but there might be a need for somewhere they remain for the first 48 or 72 hours."

President of council umbrella organisation Cosla, David O’Neill, confirmed the commitment for the first time following the conclusion of Thursday's meeting.

He said: “A number of councils had already been in discussions with the Home Office about their involvement in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme.

"The last three weeks has seen all Scotland's councils willing to support a coordinated response to what can only be described as a humanitarian crisis. For many councils that has seen them committing to taking refugees immediately.”

It emerged yesterday that Westminster, which pays for accommodation, education and some support of refugees, would cover the costs of health care for one year.

Negotiations with the Department of Work and Pensions have also taken place to ensure councils are aware of which of the arrivals will be 'work-ready' and that concerns over potential delays to processing National Insurance details are dealt with.

It has already emerged the Scottish Government has pledged £1million for support services and while some in local government have raised eyebrows over the role of the Holyrood administration one source said he expected SNP ministers to "show leadership".

Cosla's Harry McGuigan said: "We recognise the scale of the task and the necessity for detailed planning. We fully recognise that this is not simply about matching people to houses, and that we must meet the wider needs of people so that they can integrate into our communities and build a safe life in Scotland."

Peter Barry is head of customer and community services at West Dunbartonshire Council.

He said: "One of the first things we need to do is work with communities affected by refugee dispersal, identify people who are supportive and work with them to cascade the positive messages.

"We need to address fears to that excite some people sensitively and quickly. It would be our intention to have people housed, with schools and GPs sorted within the first day of their arrival."