Oral - The Refugee Inclusion Strategy

I am pleased to have the opportunity to provide an update on the refugee inclusion strategy. I was delighted to launch the strategy at the Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre in Newport on 14 June. Among stakeholders, expectation was high that the strategy would provide the necessary vision and direction to achieve refugee inclusion.

The reception that the strategy received from stakeholders and the media suggests that those expectations were realised. The aim of the refugee inclusion strategy is to support refugees and enable them to rebuild their lives in Wales and make a full contribution to society. The strategy outlines the actions that the Welsh Assembly Government will take to achieve refugee inclusion across Wales.

Wales has a proud history of providing refuge to people fleeing persecution. Over the centuries, refugees from many countries have been welcomed by people in Wales. Asylum seekers living in Wales originate from more than 60 nations and speak 40 different languages. As the Minister with responsibility for asylum-seeker and refugee issues, I am committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all people living in Wales, and to ensuring that we respect each other’s values, cultures, languages and faiths.

During the process of developing the refugee inclusion strategy, the Welsh Assembly Government worked with refugees, asylum seekers and their representative organisations. In response to the issues raised during the consultation, the strategy was revised to better reflect the circumstances and aspirations of asylum seekers and refugees in Wales.

The contribution that refugees, asylum seekers and their representative organisations made to the strategy needs to be acknowledged. The consultation process resulted in a stronger document, which now clarifies the distinctions between asylum seekers, refugees and migrant workers, including their distinct experiences, motivations, service needs and legal status. It acknowledges that asylum seekers are not an homogeneous group, and encourages policy responses that take account of the diverse needs of asylum seekers and refugees. It also recognises the role of the receiving community, in particular the vital role that minority ethnic communities play in facilitating refugee inclusion.

During the consultation process, we identified the fulfilment of potential as the most important factor for individual refugees. In response, we have established that as one of the key themes of the refugee inclusion strategy, alongside ensuring diverse and cohesive communities and the accessibility of services.

Although the strategy is concerned with refugee inclusion, it contains provisions specific to asylum seekers. One of the principles on which the strategy is based is that refugee inclusion begins on day one of arrival in the United Kingdom, and successful inclusion is closely related to the standard of reception procedures, and people’s experiences as asylum seekers.
Prior to the National Assembly for Wales elections in May 2007, candidates demonstrated their commitment to improving the lives of refugees and asylum seekers in Wales by individually committing to pledges within the 'Refugee and Asylum Seekers: Manifesto’ in 2007. The commitments made in the manifesto are addressed in the strategy.

The refugee inclusion strategy documents the progress that the Welsh Assembly Government has made to date in achieving refugee inclusion in Wales. At the same time, the strategy recognises that there are a number of barriers to refugee inclusion. As a group, refugees and asylum seekers are especially vulnerable. They are living in a new community, in a country where they face a wide range of difficulties just to meet their elementary day-to-day needs. The wellbeing of all will have been at risk, and many will have suffered persecution or worse. We need to be particularly sensitive to the requirements of children. First, they must be treated as children, and, as part of meeting the manifesto’s commitments, we must recognise the need for children’s advocacy, particularly those children who are unaccompanied.

To ensure that the refugee inclusion strategy achieves refugee inclusion, the individual strategic objectives set out in it are accompanied by action points. We are currently developing an implementation action plan, which identifies the resources, targets and outcomes for the individual actions. Once the plan has been formalised, a refugee inclusion strategy implementation group will be established. The group will monitor progress made towards implementing the refugee inclusion strategy against the targets and outcomes set out in the implementation action plan. That will enable Welsh Assembly Government Ministers to monitor the progress made towards achieving refugee inclusion in Wales.

To facilitate an effective response to refugee inclusion, the implementation action plan priorities 10 actions that address those areas of service delivery subject to the greatest pressure. I recognise that refugee inclusion will not be achieved by working alone. The approach underpinning the strategy is, therefore, a partnership approach. Welsh Assembly Government officials will be contacting refugee organisations and other service providers in the near future to discuss how we can work in partnership to deliver the actions contained in the refugee inclusion strategy. We will also work with the media, academic institutions and faith groups to ensure the effective implementation of the strategy.

The key to achieving inclusion is securing the participation of refugees in the decisions about services and their delivery. My officials will therefore be consulting with organisations that represent the interests of refugees and, where possible, consulting with individual refugees to inform the design and delivery of services.