A view from Mark Isherwood – Welsh Conservative North Wales Member of the Senedd

Wrexham.com has invited the four North Wales Members of the Senedd to write a monthly column with updates on their work. You can find their updates – along with contributions from the Wrexham and Clwyd South MPs and MSs – here. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In his monthly column for Wrexham.com, Welsh Conservative MS Mark Isherwood writes.. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The 24th February 2023 marked the first anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s illegal and barbaric invasion of its smaller, sovereign neighbour, Ukraine.

According to the latest estimates from Norway, the conflict has wounded or killed 180,000 Russian soldiers and 100,000 Ukrainian troops.

Other western sources estimate the war has caused 150,000 casualties on each side.

In late January, the United Nations estimated that 18,000 civilians had been killed or wounded in the fighting, but said the real figure was likely much higher – with Western sources stating that 30,000 to 40,000 civilians have lost their lives in the conflict.

Ukrainian authorities say at least 400 children have been killed.

Kyiv also alleges that Moscow has forcibly deported more than 16,000 children to Russia or areas controlled by Moscow-backed separatists.

According to the UN refugee agency, more than eight million Ukrainians have been forced to flee Ukraine since the war broke out, the largest refugee crisis in Europe since the second world war.

Neighbouring Poland hosts the largest share of these refugees, with more than 1.5 million of them.

More than five million people have been displaced inside the country.

217,900 visas have been issued to help Ukrainians come to the UK.

At 7th February 2023, this comprised of 152,100 issued as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and 65,800 issued through the Ukraine Family Scheme.

The UK has also provided £1.5 billion of economic and humanitarian support to help the Ukrainian people, with £1.3 billion to help keep Ukrainian public services running, and around £220 million in humanitarian aid for basic necessities.

The latest UK Government figures as at 7th February show that 8,762 Visas had been granted to people from Ukraine who have sponsors in Wales, and that 6,437 Ukrainians had arrived in Wales, 53% sponsored by the Welsh Government and 48% by Welsh Households.

There have been additional arrivals under the Ukraine family scheme.

Leading the Welsh Conservatives Debate on the ‘Invasion of Ukraine and supporting Ukrainian refugees’ in the Welsh Parliament last month, I urged all Members of the Senedd to support my Party’s motion calling for the Welsh Government to publish a long-term plan to support Ukrainian refugees in Wales.

I commended efforts in North Wales to support Ukrainian refugees, but stressed that some are facing problems and said more must be done by the Welsh Government to ensure that they can be properly housed.

It is reported that many Ukrainian refugees in Wales have spoken to the media about the difficulties that many of them are having finding and maintaining housing accommodation. For example, Ukrainian refugees who have had to leave their sponsor homes have been told that welcome centres aren’t an option for safe accommodation and that landlords appear reluctant to take on refugee tenants due to concerns over stability of future earnings.

I had previously referred in the Senedd Chamber to the case of the Mum and daughter who fled fighting in Ukraine but now faced homelessness as their Welsh sponsor pulls out, who cannot afford private rent and who fear they could end up on the streets, and further noted that the Irish Government has announced that it will be delivering 700 modular homes for Ukrainian Refugees this year, including 200 accommodating 800 Ukrainian Refugees built by Easter. I called on the Welsh Government to consider this modular housing option when it receives its share of the UK Government’s new £150 Million Fund for Ukrainian Housing Support.

In this context, the Humanitarian Corridor work of Wrexham’s Polish Integration Support Centre following the Russian Invasion of Ukraine includes proposals for the construction of temporary housing. Further, the focus of Berwyn Prison in Wrexham on rehabilitation through work includes the production of Eco-Friendly Modular Housing.

In the debate, I emphasised that the Welsh Government’s Ukrainian Humanitarian Response has to a large extent been dependant upon engagement with Third Sector Organisations, including: –

• “Link International”, bringing together community and faith groups and third sector organisations, working with North Wales local authorities in collaboration with other statutory agencies and the Welsh Government;
• Wrexham’s Polish Integration Support Centre, supporting Ukrainian Children, older People, Disabled People and Soldiers;
• The Red Cross, supporting and housing the families;
• Rotary Clubs, which have donated over £6m in cash and kind, and given more than 100,000 volunteer hours supporting Ukraine and its people over the last 12 months;
• The response to the Invasion of Ukraine by the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales; and many more.

I also acknowledged and gave thanks to the people of Wales for their kindness, generosity, and determination to support our Ukrainian friends.

I stated: “The military, financial and humanitarian aid provided to Ukraine by both the UK and Welsh Governments has been vital in supporting the fight against tyranny – but we can’t become complacent now”.

“Those who have studied events in the 1930s know that we cannot let Putin succeed. As Churchill said ‘An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last’.”