Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:28 pm on 22 January 2020.
I'd like to thank all Members for the contributions to today's debate, and the Counsel General and Brexit Minister for setting out the Welsh Government's position. And before I continue my contribution to close, I want to put on record my thanks to the clerking team and the research team who actually set all this up, because without their hard work and commitment, we wouldn't have had the forums to talk to the people. It's very much appreciated. I'll try to highlight a few of the points raised during the debate, and I'll try and keep it as quick as I can because I'm aware of the time.
David Melding, I very much welcome your valued contribution to the committee. You always give us deep thinking and you remind us often of the historical contribution of our nation through immigration, particularly in your case, for example, you've talked about the Greek groups—but there are many others from other EU nations and from nations outside the EU as well—and how we've benefited. You also reminded us that the points scheme needs consideration to ensure that Wales does not lose out, which the Counsel General also highlighted.
Delyth, you are a passionate internationalist and you demonstrated once again your strong credentials in that area. And she reminded us of our four freedoms, and the result of the referendum is that we will lose those four freedoms.
And the stories we heard from the people, particularly the children and how they've experienced what I'd call disgraceful behaviour from other children, who probably picked it up from their parents. It's something we should never be accepting here in Wales. No child should have to be told, 'Go home' by another child simply because they're from a different nation. It shouldn't happen.
Alun reminded us again of the freedom of movement of labour. That was an issue with people coming to Wales and, yes, there are many who come to Wales, and the former First Minister in his interjection also again reminded us that we are all immigrants. And I'll be honest: my mother was from Belgium. My father's history goes back a couple of hundred years in Port Talbot, but my mother was from Belgium so, technically, my mother was an immigrant coming here after the second world war. So, we are a nation of mixed races and conditions, and we work together, we live together and that's how we should always be. We should never be challenging someone else's past or history; we should be looking to the future, and I hope we do that.
Huw raised the question about the individual from Poland, and he also said this: that the EUSS—remind me what it is—settlement scheme—I couldn't remember—and the European immigration proposals after Brexit are not simply about administrative processes; they're about people. And Huw reminded us that when we talk about workers, it's about people. When we talk about this today, we are talking about people. We are not talking about some abstract concept; it's about people—the person who lives next door to you, their child, the child who plays with your child—that's who we're talking about, and let's not forget that. When comments come in regarding—. I won't repeat those comments because I don't think they're appropriate. It shouldn't be laughed at, it shouldn't be supported; it should be put down straight away and challenged. We should never be using language that changes that.
And Mandy, I do welcome your position that you do not seek division and you do not believes division occurs, but both you and David unfortunately kept on highlighting immigration as an issue. I agree with you: immigration I think was an issue in the referendum, but only because it had been raised as hysteria. If we look at the contributions immigrants make to our nation—