Refugees

Refugees in Wales

A refugee is a person who “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country…”

Refugee status is given when the Home Office considers that the person fits into the definition as set out by the 1951 UN Convention Relating to Refugees. As of 30th August 2005 those granted refugee status in the UK will be given 5 years leave to remain.

Refugees in Wales – Survey

In November 2009 the Minister for Social Justice and Local Governement, Brian Gibbons, launched a survey of Refugees living in Wales .  The research was led by Professor Heaven Crawley from the Centre for Migration Policy Research at Swansea University and was funded by the Welsh Government, the WMP and the Welsh Refugee Council. The refugee survey represented the first systematic attempt to understand the experiences of refugees who have been granted status and have made Wales their home.

Findings; the survey found that refugees living in Wales are more highly qualified than people born in the country;at least a quarter of refugees had a degree gained in their own country. However the group as a whole still experienced high levels of unemployment and under-employment. The survey pointed to an increasingly diverse Wales, but found there were fewer refugees than in other UK areas.

The researchers interviewed 123 refugees living in Wales on their skills, qualifications and language abilities, as well as access to housing, education and the labour market. It also asked for their experiences in the communities they live in now.