Concerns have been raised over plans to get Ukrainian refugees to leave welcome centres in Wales in the coming months. In a report published on Thursday a cross-party Senedd group asked the Welsh Government for assurances the 1,200 refugees still in 27 welcome centres such as hotels and holiday parks across the country would be suitably accommodated elsewhere.
Just under half of the 6,500 refugees who have arrived in Wales from Ukraine over the past 12 months have done so through the government’s super sponsor scheme - meaning they first were hosted in a welcome centre facility. But some of them have been in the centres for almost a year due to difficulties in finding longer-term accommodation.
Last month, Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt, who is the minister overseeing the “move on” process, reassured refugees that while all welcome centres will close, they wouldn’t find themselves homeless despite a reluctance among sponsors to come forward. The government said it is moving quickly to find an additional 1,300 homes including modular temporary facilities, which the committee also raised worries about.
Read more: Welsh Government to increase sponsor payments for people who take in Ukrainian refugees
In a bid to persuade as many sponsors in Wales to come forward as possible the Welsh Government announced on Thursday that it is increasing monthly “thank you payments” from £350 to £500 from April 1 with the aid of £40 million in funding announced last week. You can read more on that and what the Welsh Government says it will do for Ukrainians and sponsors in Wales here.
In a statement a Welsh Government spokesperson said “our approach meets, and in some cases exceeds, the recommendations in the report”. The government plans to close all 27 welcome centres in Wales within 18 months.
In its report the local government committee said: “We are concerned by reports that the Welsh Government will begin closing its welcome centres. We are surprised by such a step, given the positive feedback from the Welsh Government and stakeholders, on the role of the centres. We would like the Welsh Government to outline its rationale, should it be beginning to close centres, and how it intends to ensure those currently in the centres are moved to suitable accommodation.”
At a time when many hotels across the country are full with homeless people, the committee also said it was worried there was insufficient availability of accommodation in Wales for refugees leaving the centres.
“We are particularly concerned as to whether there is sufficient accommodation available for Ukrainians to move into,” the committee said, citing “challenges faced by local authorities in securing permanent homes either through social housing or the private rented sector”.
At one welcome centre in Wales last month many refugees spoke about their experiences with private landlords being reluctant to take them in due to their financial positions in a competitive housing market, which you can see here.
The committee added that sponsors must be given “all necessary support from the Welsh and UK Governments to enable them to continue to host people from Ukraine for as long as is needed”.
The committee also asked for further clarification on the expectation of local authorities to develop modular homes within their regions. Last month Ms Hutt told WalesOnline modular homes will be used in every part of Wales to house refugees.
“The Welsh Government should provide an update to the Senedd on its intentions around the use of modular accommodation to provide homes for people from Ukraine,” the report added. “This should include detail of the Welsh Government’s expectations on local authorities to develop such accommodation, the funding available to them and the longer term intentions for its use.”
A Welsh Government spoksperson responded: "We have today announced how we will continue to support people fleeing the war in Ukraine and support those already in Wales to move into longer-term accommodation with an additional £40m investment over the next financial year. Our approach meets, and in some cases exceeds, the recommendations in the report."
Read next:
- Welsh Government reveals how much it has spent on hotels to house refugees from Ukraine
- Mum and daughter fled fighting in Ukraine but now face homelessness as Welsh sponsor pulls out
- 'We're so thankful.....to not feel like a refugee' - smiles and joy as Ukrainian mums and their children enjoy special party in Cardiff
- Refugees from Ukraine in Wales asked to start paying for meals and laundry
- Ukrainian families were given safety and a warm welcome in an Urdd centre in Wales
