Refugees in Wales: The Facts

The world is in a global refugee crisis. Not since the Second World War have so many people fled parts of the world looking for safety. The cause is instability in the Middle East, mainly Syria.

So what is the difference between a refugee and an asylum seeker?

According to Article 1, 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees a refugee is:

An asylum seeker is someone who's asked the government of another country for refugee status and is awaiting a decision. In the UK that is decided by the Home Office. It can take months even years to get an answer.

According to the Welsh Refugee Council the United Kingdom only has 1% of the world's refugees. Wales has around 8% of the UK's share. They are mostly housed in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Wrexham.

Wales is a peaceful alternative to a war zone but the charity says refugees can expect pockets of racism, verbal abuse and physical attacks. Hannah Wharf from the council spoke to me about cases she had dealt with.

Feelings about the subject run high. A poll recently found 47% of Britons want refugees to be sent home regardless of where they come from.

So as more people leave the world's hotspots seeking safety in Europe, governments are will need to balance their obligations to international law and the views of their population