Swansea Stands As One
On Saturday I had the pleasure to attend the Stand As One Rally in Castle Square, Swansea. There was a great turnout there as numerous people from multiple organisations and none stood together to declare their support for refugees.
The Swansea rally was one of many around the world on Saturday as people called on leaders to support refugees in two upcoming summits in New York. I am proud to echo that call on the Welsh and UK governments to do far more to resettle refugees. Despite the people of Swansea uniting many times in calling for more to be done to aid these people who are in desperate situations, the number of refugees accepted into Wales from Syria as of August this year was only 112.
That's not good enough. It's not good enough when there are thousands of people living in a camp in Calais, desperately searching for a place to live.
It's not good enough when all across Europe there are unaccompanied children whom the UK government promised to accept, fearing for their lives, living with the risk of abduction and abuse on a daily basis.
It's not good enough when the UK's promise to accept 20,000 Syrian refugees in six years was less than Germany accepted in a weekend.
Swansea is a City of Sanctuary and I am proud that the people who live here have reiterated the call for more to be done. Thanks to the work of organisations like Oxfam Cymru we can be confident that our message will be heard.
It is now up to the governments, both in Cardiff and in London to react. History awaits their response.
