The Home Office plan to house asylum seekers in the Stradey Park Hotel has stoked passions across the population. Whether you’re in favour of the plan or not, feelings have been running high.
As often happens when passions are ignited, speculation and opinion quickly outstrips the pace of factual reality. It’s said that a lie can be around the world twice before the truth has its shoes on. Rumour and speculation is no different that way. Many believe that the decision has been made, or encouraged, by the Welsh Government, but that isn’t the case.
In the hopes of clearing up some misinformation, we reached out to Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change and MS for Llanelli for his thoughts on the situation developing at the Stradey Park Hotel, and where the responsibility ultimately lies.
He had this to say:
“The Welsh Government opposes the use of the Stradey Park Hotel to house people waiting for their legal claim for sanctuary to be processed by the Home Office. Responsibility for immigration and asylum rests with the UK Government, not the Welsh Government. This includes processing applications and providing accommodation while that takes place. The Welsh Government’s ‘Nation of Sanctuary’ policy is not an ‘Open Door’ for unmanaged migration. It is a set of principles of how we will humanely treat people who are in Wales seeking sanctuary.”
There is a feeling amongst some members of the local community that immigrants are giving preferential treatment and aid that far exceeds that given to the people of Wales themselves, particularly with the homeless population of Wales. The common sentiment is that we should ‘look after our own’.
“We are also ‘looking after our own’”, Lee responds.
“Since the start of the pandemic, the Welsh Government has taken a ‘no-one left out ‘ approach to homelessness to ensure no-one is forced to sleep rough in Wales. We are providing over £210m for homelessness and housing support services for people in Wales every year.
“We have helped over 35,000 people who were previously homeless who have been supported into emergency temporary accommodation.
“During March 2023, 823 homeless individuals were moved into suitable long-term accommodation, 173 more than in February 2023. Of the individuals moved into suitable long-term accommodation, 271 were dependent children aged under 16, an increase of 35 from February 2023.
“As at 31st March 2023, there were an estimated 135 individuals sleeping rough throughout Wales. This is 26 fewer than the 161 sleeping rough on 28 February 2023. There is much more to do but we are already doing a lot (more than the Tory Government in England are doing).”
There are critics of the Welsh Government, and of Labour more broadly, who have suggested that the opposition has undermined the Home Office and their refusal to support Home Office proposals has hobbled the attempts of the UK Government to handle the immigration crisis.
“The UK Government’s Stop the Boats/Illegal Immigration Bill has been described by the UN Refugee Council as amounting to’ a ban on asylum’. The Refugee Council calls the Act “brutal”, “inhumane” and “discriminatory”. It focuses heavily on penalising refugees who travel to the UK through ‘irregular’ means (via small boats) but the latest ONS migration figures show far larger numbers came to the UK by other means.
“As of December 2022, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland received proportionally fewer asylum seekers than England. The data on refugees more broadly is limited. The data, however, suggests Scotland and Wales receive proportionally more refugees than England from certain schemes for resettlement, and more people through the Ukraine sponsorship scheme.”
Opponents of the Home Office have pointed out that one of the best ways to resolve a situation like this is to increase the number of safe routes into the country; a stable, safe passageway does more to prevent loss of life and helps process migrants more effectively than most other methods.
“The Welsh Government believes that asylum and resettlement policy cannot succeed without adequate safe and legal routes to the UK; effective return agreements for those with invalid claims; exceptional processes to ensure asylum can still be claimed within the UK in exceptional circumstances and processes that function efficiently. And it is essential that asylum processing facilities outside the UK are established to break the business model of people traffickers and smugglers.
“Our policy approach is rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) passed by the United Nations in the aftermath of the Second World War to help the millions of people who had lost their homes.”The UDHR was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 in the aftermath of the Second World War. It is widely regarded as a cornerstone for fundamental human rights. The UK, as a signatory of the Declaration, has a responsibility to treat immigrants with dignity. Likewise, as one of the original draftees and original ratifying states of the European Convention on Human Rights, the UK actively shaped its own duty to immigrants arriving here.
And considering how many of the principles outlined in the Convention protect us, as citizens of the UK ourselves, no one should be quick to embrace withdrawing from these obligations without thinking through it carefully. Rights are rarely given back willingly once they’re revoked.
But no obligation to the locals or your people. 😂😂🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️ What a load of old shit.