REFUGEES arriving in Glasgow from Syria tomorrow deserve our compassion, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The First Minister warned Scotland must be united against terrorists and not let them shatter Scotland’s multi-cultural society.

Yesterday, Ms Sturgeon chaired a second meeting of the Scottish Government resilience group since the Paris attacks and also visited Glasgow Central Mosque where a minutes silence was observed.

The first plane load of refugees is due at Glasgow Airport tomorrow and the First Minister said hate crime will not be tolerated.

She said: “These people are fleeing the terror of Isis, that's why as a community and in co-operation with other countries we have a part to play in dealing with the refugee crisis."

"There is absolutely no place for bigotry and prejudice in Scotland and this government is clear that any form of hate crime is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated in 21st-century Scotland."

She appealed to people to welcome the refugees who will come to Scotland and not allow the terror attacks to lead to prejudice against them.

She said: “I urge people not to let these terrorists win by dividing us and driving a wedge between the multi-cultural society Scotland is home to.

"We are stronger when united and that is one of our strengths.

“We need to show that we are a country of compassion and acceptance.

"These people are fleeing their homes in the search for protection and security, and we are their refuge. We cannot let the actions of the few destroy the safety of the many."

The First Minister assured people those coming to Scotland from the refugee camps in Syria and surrounding countries have been through a vetting process.

The refugees are coming directly form the camps under the Syrian Vulnerable Peoples Relocation Scheme.

She said they have: “undergone stringent security checks.”

Humza Yousaf, External Affairs Minister and Michael Matheson, Justice Secretary, joined the First Minister at the central Mosque to show support for the Muslim communities in Scotland.

Ms Sturgeon said: “I have seen with my own eyes in the aftermath of past terrorist atrocities that our Muslim community often feel a double burden.

“They feel the same shock and horror and revulsion that we do, but they've also got to cope with knowing that there are some who would point the finger of blame at them.”

She said the atrocities were not carried out in the name of Islam.She added: “What they do is a perversion of the values and teachings of Islam.”

The level of threat in Scotland ranked as "severe", Ms Sturgeon said people are safe to go about their day-to-day business.

She said the police advise people to be “alert but not alarmed”, and to report suspicious behaviour.