Can we claim to be a nation of sanctuary?

WALES’ Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt has been very vocal about Wales being a “nation of sanctuary”.

Twelve months ago, she issued a statement praising the “overwhelming response from people in Wales” offering to host people fleeing in the conflict in Ukraine, describing it as “our Welsh Nation of Sanctuary” in action. She went on to say the “Welsh Government is now directly sponsoring people from Ukraine... and receive structured support in one of the Welcome Centres we are delivering”.

Yet some of those inspiring words look a little more hollow a year on as many households in Wales pull out of the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme and the Welsh Government itself shuts the Welcome Centres in which it had being housing refugees from Ukraine. We understand that those hotels, hostels, holiday parks, university halls and other facilities used as welcome centres are going to be closed in the coming months. There are currently around 1,200 people still in those facilities.

In both cases, people from Ukraine fear they will have no option but to present as homeless at council offices around Wales and seek emergency help from those local authorities. If this is sanctuary, it is very different to the “structured support” that had been promised a year ago.

A committee of Senedd Members has called on the Welsh Government to issue further clarification on its plans – and expressed their fear that there is simply not enough suitable accommodation for people to move into.

Wales had a housing crisis long before the war in Ukraine and the problems there have been housing refugees have stirred up difficult emotions and angry responses.

The committee said there had been no official announcement on the Welcome Centre plans, and also called for a “long-term plan” to ensure sufficient provision. In response the Welsh Government insists it is devoting a lot of resources to helping people from Ukraine – pointing to the £40m it has allocated in its budget in the coming year to support them.

Yet there is no hiding from the fact that this is now an issue the nation must face. As the outpouring of sympathy and willingness to help that characterised Wales’ initial response to the humanitarian tragedy fades, there remain thousands of people from Ukraine in Wales who are displaced, away from their home and belongings, in many cases separated from their loved ones, in some cases speaking little English and in a difficult situation.

The idea that Wales is a nation of sanctuary will really be determined by what happens now, not what we did a year ago.