Written question WQ89321
- Asked by
- Rhys ab OwenIndependent
- To be answered by
- Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 6 days
Question
What assessment has the Minister made of the impact that the withdrawal of plans to use Stradey Park Hotel to house asylum seekers has had on Wales’s international role as a nation of sanctuary?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip
The scenes we have witnessed at Stradey Park Hotel have been unacceptable. The information vacuum left by UK Government and the subsequent job losses at the hotel caused legitimate local grievances. However, some of the protests have included intimidation and have given prominence to the far-right.
Our Nation of Sanctuary vision is demonstrated every day through the thousands hosting Ukrainians or those appealing an asylum refusal, through the many volunteers who support sanctuary seekers, and by the donations and welcome messages the general public provide.
Nevertheless, Wales is not immune to hate and we must call it out where we find it. We will continue to urge the UK Government to take far greater care in the way they meet their responsibility to provide asylum accommodation. A different approach is needed in Wales, working with local communities and denying the far-right the recruiting ground which their current approach creates.