2. Will the First Minister provide an update on the Syrian refugees being resettled in Wales? OAQ(5)0085(FM)

Seventy-eight Syrian refugees were resettled in Wales at the end of May and we would expect more to arrive in Wales over the coming months.

I thank the First Minister for that response. It’s been very disturbing to hear of the racist comments that have increased since the result of the EU referendum and we hope that that won’t affect the really good welcome that’s been given in Wales to the Syrian refugees. But what more does the First Minister think can be done to help refugee children in particular, and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, so that they get the maximum support from local authorities and the communities where they’re placed?

I can inform the Member that the ministerial Syrian refugee taskforce, as she will know, was established in November 2015. That is supported by an operations board. There is a children’s sub-group of that operations board, and that will ensure co-ordination of new schemes to take refugee children from the middle east and north Africa, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from camps in Europe, and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who have arrived in Kent. A conference is being hosted on 12 July by the Home Office with the local authorities to launch the national transfer scheme in Wales.

First Minister, I echo the concerns raised by Julie Morgan in relation to the racist comments that have happened since the European vote last week, and I would condemn that approach to the reaction to the European referendum. But I wonder whether you have considered how, moving forward—with the communities Minister, potentially—we can try and bring communities together. Because, a lot of people voted in this referendum, be it for reasons of voting against the establishment or voting against poverty in their local areas. How can we now, regardless of the vote, try and bring people together, to move forward as a nation so that we do not see future situations where people are divided and are turning against each other in their own communities?

There is no doubt that our nation is divided, and it’s important that that cohesion is re-established. I don’t believe that division has suddenly appeared. I don’t believe that, suddenly, people have changed their minds in terms of the way they perceive others. There will always be a small minority who feel that way—that’s true of almost every country in the world, unfortunately. But, no, I think the emphasis now has to be—and I’ll mention it later on, in the debate—that now is the time to rebuild and unite our nation of Wales in order to make sure that what we’ve seen as a breakdown in some communities, in terms of cohesion, is not something that we should see in the long term.

First Minister, can I join with those who’ve already expressed their condemnation of the racist attacks and criticisms that have taken place on social media and elsewhere in recent days? But can you also join with me in praising the work of faith communities across Wales, who’ve done their utmost to protect those Syrian refugees and others who have come to Wales to flee persecution in their countries, and, in particular, the Syrian Orthodox Church, which, of course, does have strong representation here in Wales and has engaged very positively both with the faith communities forum, which you, of course, chair, and the work of the Assembly, with the cross-party group on faith?

Yes, the faith communities forum has been hugely useful in terms of identifying problems as they arise, and also planning for the future. And it’s a true example of those from many different faiths working together in the common interest of promoting the welfare of humanity, if I can put it that way. It’s a forum that works very well, and I look forward to it continuing in the future.

I note that Newport, Cardiff and Swansea are all in the top 10 of UK cities for receiving refugees. Do we have any idea what the total cost is to local authorities in Wales of housing the recent wave of refugees?

There are 78 of them—it’s not a substantial cost, and we expect those costs to be met in whole or part by the Home Office.