Hanover, Germany  - A plane bringing 122 Iraqi refugees to a new life in Germany arrived in the northern city of Hanover on Thursday.

They are the first batch of 2,500 that Germany has agreed to accept under an agreement by the European Union to grant a sanctuary to 10,000 Iraqi refugees.

Britain, France and the Netherlands have already given new homes to some of the refugees, most of them from Christian minorities that suffered persecution in the turmoil following the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The 31 families arrived aboard an Airbus airliner from the Syrian capital Damascus after going through a selection process by the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The UNHCR described Germany's decision to accept them as "an important humanitarian signal."

After their arrival the families were being taken by bus to a reception centre in nearby Friedland where they will undergo integration courses before being assigned accommodation in Germany's federal states.

German integration commissioner Maria Boehmer called for them to be welcomed with open arms, saying it was "an act of humanity to quickly help the people looking for protection and accommodate them here."

The refugees sent to Germany have been designated as being in special need of protection, with no prospect of returning to their homeland.

The interior ministry of Lower Saxony, where Hanover is located, said the newcomers would be given work permits as soon as possible to enable them to earn their own living and become integrated quickly. (dpa)