Julie Morgan raises a very vital question that is of great concern to her constituents and the people we represent here in Wales. Welsh Government officials have, I can confirm, spoken today to their counterparts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. They’ve confirmed that Somaliland is normally treated by the international community as an integral part of Somalia, so the Foreign and Commonwealth Office expects that the latest US travel ban will impact equally on all Somalians, including those from Somaliland. This, in fact, was the case with the previous US travel ban. There’s no indication at present of any distinction being made this time, but our officials have highlighted the concerns of the Somali community in Wales. We’ve requested any further information about the likely impact of the ban on Somalia and the other countries as well that are included in the latest ban, and that this should be shared with the Welsh Government as soon as possible. As was the case with the previous US travel ban, much remains unclear about the details, about the practical implications of the ban, of President Trump’s latest announcement. The Welsh Government continues to have serious concerns about the restrictions being put in place, and I would hope that those concerns would be shared across this Chamber. We’ll continue to urge the UK Government to do everything possible to ensure the interests and rights of Welsh citizens are not harmed.

I would say also, finally, that Wales is making a significant contribution to the refugee crisis by receiving refugees and asylum seekers in almost every part of the country. We’ve a solemn duty to help and protect refugees and the Welsh Government takes that very seriously. We have benefited from inward migration, we believe that migrants make a positive contribution to Wales’s economy and to our society more widely, and we stand in full solidarity with all our people, irrespective of their country of origin or religion, and the UK Government should represent all of our citizens in discussions with the US Government.