Four councils in Wales are ready to home around 50 Syrian refugees before Christmas.

Around 50 Syrian refugees will be welcomed to Wales before Christmas says Lesley Griffiths AM, Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty.

The Welsh Government says four unnamed councils in Wales will home around 50 Syrian refugees arriving before Christmas.

In an update to Assembly Members on the progress to resettle Syrian refugees in Wales the Minister said

“I am pleased to announce that four Local Authorities across Wales will be welcoming approximately 50 Syrian refugees before Christmas. Exact numbers, details of the Local Authorities and arrival dates will not be disclosed as the interests of the refugees must be uppermost in our minds.”

The announcement comes after the first meeting of the Syrian Refugee Taskforce made up of representatives from Health, Local Government, the Third Sector, the Private Sector, the Home Office and the Police present.

All 22 Local Authorities have said they are keen to resettle Syrian refugees however the Minister says “Local Authorities have key decisions to make and must be allowed sufficient time to go through their local processes to ensure the necessary services are in place.”

[x_pullquote cite=”Lesley Griffiths AM, Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty” type=”right”]
I take a zero tolerance approach to hate crime and strongly condemn any abuse Muslim people may experience in the wake of attacks such as those witnessed in recent days. [/x_pullquote]

The Wrexham Assembly Member said she was disappointed to hear people criticise Governments offering homes to refugees in the wake of recent terror attacks:

“Like everyone in Wales, I was horrified by the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Mali and Beirut. It was disappointing some people chose to criticise Governments for offering new homes to refugees following these attacks.

I am assured by the UK Government all refugees coming here will have been thoroughly vetted in the camps before being accepted, to ensure they are genuine refugees who pose no threat to our security.”

Refugees and asylum seekers are welcome in Wales.

“Wales has a proud history of welcoming refugees from all over the world, including Syrians, who have come to the UK and claimed asylum. I want to send out a strong message that refugees and asylum seekers are welcome in Wales.

We believe integration begins on day one of arrival and have had a number of services in place to support refugees and asylum seekers for many years.

We are currently consulting on our Refugee and Asylum Seeker Delivery Plan which sets out our proposals for the next 3 years. So, although the Taskforce is time limited, we already have a long term and sustainable approach to supporting refugees and asylum seekers.

Local Tensions.

“I fund Community Cohesion Co-ordinators across Wales who ensure, as part of their work programme, that systems for monitoring tensions are in place at a local level. They also have a key role in raising awareness of hate crime and ensuring Local Authorities’ officers have the necessary training.

I take a zero tolerance approach to hate crime and strongly condemn any abuse Muslim people may experience in the wake of attacks such as those witnessed in recent days.

I want to send a clear message to anyone who is the victim of hate as the result of their colour, faith or immigration status, that this is not tolerated in Wales.

We work closely with the Police on our Hate Crime Criminal Justice Board and fund Victim Support Cymru to offer support to all victims of hate crime.”

Welcome to Wales packs which gives key information on life in Wales and includes a section on the local area where the refugees will live will be handed out to refugees on arrival.