Responding to yesterday’s Statement by the Social Justice Minister on ‘Ukraine Humanitarian Response’, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood, who Shadows the Minister, called for more to be done to ensure Ukrainian Refugees in Wales do not end up homeless.
Mr Isherwood also highlighted support being provided in North Wales to Ukrainian refugees by the Polish Integration Centre in Wrexham, charity Link International and Red Cross, and asked how all these wider contributions are integrated into the Welsh Government's Ukraine humanitarian response.
Speaking in the Senedd Chamber, he said:
“It is reported that many Ukrainian refugees in Wales have spoken to the media about the difficulties that many of them are having finding and maintaining housing accommodation. For example, Ukrainian refugees who've had to leave their sponsor homes have been told that welcome centres aren't an option for safe accommodation, and landlords appear reluctant to take on refugee tenants due to concerns over stability of future earnings. I'm quoting here from newspaper articles, and therefore I don't know how secure the progeny of those stories is. But, responding to you three weeks ago, I also referred to the case of the mum and daughter who fled fighting in Ukraine but now face homelessness as their Welsh sponsor pulls out, who can't afford private rent and who fear they could end up on the streets.
“I further noted that the Irish Government has announced that it would be delivering 700 modular homes for Ukrainian refugees this year, including 200 accommodating 800 Ukrainian refugees, built by Easter, as it scrambles to find housing. Given that Wales has a long-standing affordable housing supply crisis, will the Welsh Government be considering this option alone or with the UK Government? And if so, what is it currently doing about it?
“I again referred in my response to you three weeks ago to the help being provided for Ukrainian refugees by Wrexham's Polish Integration Support Centre, and your then forthcoming visit, which I attended, to the North Wales Ukraine response by charity Link International, and to the response to the invasion of Ukraine by the Catholic Bishops Conference for England and Wales.
“Last Friday, I visited a primary school in Denbighshire with my colleague Laura Anne Jones, Shadow Education Minister, when the headteacher referred to their Ukrainian pupils, whose families were supported and housed locally by the Red Cross. I'm also an honorary of Flint and Holywell Rotary Club and, over the last 12 months, rotary clubs have donated over £6 million in cash and kind and given more than 100,000 volunteer hours supporting Ukraine and its people.
“Therefore, will you provide an update on how you're ensuring that all these wider contributions are integrated into the Welsh Government's Ukraine humanitarian response?”