News
11th December 2024 |
Become our brilliant new ESOL volunteer
Could you be our new ESOL volunteer? We are looking for a friendly face to support sanctuary seeking families at our Play Project in Cardiff. From our experience, mums can find it hard to access mainstream ESOL classes. The timing of classes and lack of childcare can create barriers to learning a new language. That’s …
6th December 2024 |
Move On period extended to 56 days
By Gareth Lynn Montes, Housing Policy and Research Lead. A version of this article was published in Wales Housing Quarterly in January 2025. We are extremely pleased to hear that the UK Government and Home Office have finally extended the move on period to 56 days. While we await an official announcement and communications on …
29th November 2024 |
Building a Nation of Sanctuary: one step at a time
By Sabiha Azad, Coordinator for Sanctuary Coalition Cymru Sanctuary in the Senedd 2024 was sponsored by Jenny Rathbone MS at the Pierhead Wales has an extraordinary opportunity to establish itself as a true Nation of Sanctuary—a place where refugees and asylum seekers can rebuild their lives with dignity, safety, and hope. It’s a vision we’re …
27th November 2024 |
Growth in calls to increase the Move On period for refugees
Good news isn’t always easy to find in the realm of asylum policy in the UK. So we were glad to hear the Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle MP, acknowledge that steps are needed to help refugees smoothly settle into life in the UK. However, this was back in …
22nd November 2024 |
WRC launch new financial well-being workshops
by Souleymane Ouedraogo Last month the WRC launched their new financial well-being training workshops in their Cardiff office. The first of its kind, the workshop was attended by sanctuary seekers and refugees, including women, young families, and older people. The aim of the workshop was to inform people about the various forms of support and assistance …
13th November 2024 |
New eVISA support service
Wales eVisa Support Programme Starting December 31, 2024, Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) cards will be replaced by digital eVisas across the UK, and the Welsh Refugee Council, funded by the Home Office, is ready to help people in Wales with this transition. Here’s a quick guide to what eVisas are, why you need a UKVI …
2nd September 2024 |
Statement: Home Office border security announcement
Statement from the Welsh Refugee Council CEO Andrea Cleaver in response to Home Office announcement. The Welsh Refugee Council is deeply concerned by the Home Office’s latest measures, which prioritise border security and enforcement over the protection and dignity of those seeking refuge. While we recognise the need for effective immigration management, this approach risks …
30th August 2024 |
A taste of Ukraine
We had the privilege of being in Swansea on Saturday 24 August for Ukrainian Independence Day. Over a hundred people gathered in St. David’s Place to celebrate Україна’s thirty-third birthday. The Welsh Refugee Council was one of the main sponsors of this event organised by Sunflowers Wales, a community group run by Ukrainian volunteers here …
23rd August 2024 |
Rugby: A universal language
Earlier this week, we welcomed the Welsh Rugby Union to our Play Project. These free sessions are a space for sanctuary seeking children and their families to play together and experience the joys of childhood, away from traumatic events they have experienced. Our boys and girls had the chance to pick up a rugby …
8th August 2024 |
WRC statement: Together against hate
At the Welsh Refugee Council, we are profoundly heartbroken by the recent surge in far-right extremism and the violence directed at sanctuary seekers, refugees, those with migration heritage, and advice workers. Racism, Islamophobia, and hostile language have no place in our society. Amidst these troubling times, we are incredibly proud of how Wales, as a …