Refugees on their way to a life in Wales
DOZENS of Syrian refugees will be arriving in parts of Wales this week, it has been confirmed. Up to 50 Syrian refugees are to be settled in Torfaen, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot and Caerphilly before Christmas.
The migrants arriving in Wales from Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey have been identified as some of the most vulnerable..
The exact locations and dates of when they will be arriving have not been released.
Ceredigion council said refugees will be arriving in Aberystwyth this week.
Caerphilly council said it was initially expecting two families, but that this is now likely to be one family.
All of the refugees arriving in Wales have been granted five years’ full humanitarian protection after a twostage vetting process under the Syrian Resettlement Programme.
Torfaen council leader Bob Wellington, who is also leader of the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), said: “The refugees we welcome this week have seen their lives torn apart by the brutalities of war, and in many cases will have witnessed a level of atrocity that is almost unconceivable to people in Wales.
“We will be helping to resettle some of the most vulnerable people who have been displaced by this ongoing conflict.
“While these refugees have been forced to flee the desperation and chaos of a war-zone, they will be met with a highly-co-ordinated and a wellorganised response. Local councils have been working closely with the Home Office, the Welsh Government and a wide range of local partners to prepare for their arrival and to support their resettlement.
“We will now ensure these families are allowed the space and privacy they so desperately need to settle and begin to rebuild their new lives.”
Salah Mohamed, the Welsh Refugee Council’s chief executive, said people across Wales are ready to welcome refugees from Syria with compassion and kindness.
“The Welsh Refugee Coalition is inspired and motivated by this ground swell of support for refugees in Wales. We know that it will make a huge difference to the lives of newly-arrived Syrian refugees. We are ready to play our part to welcome the new Syrian arrivals to Wales, in partnership with local authorities, the third sector and communities across the country.”
Minister for Communities Lesley Griffiths said: “The arrival of refugees this week is the start of a long-term process of ensuring they are given all the help they need to rebuild their lives and are able to make a valuable contribution to Welsh society.”