2. What initiatives does the Welsh Government have to help Ukrainian and Afghan refugees to integrate with Welsh communities? OQ57961

Thank you, Joel, for your question. Through our team Wales approach, services are in place to support refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan. And our nation of sanctuary plan sets out the actions we are taking to integrate all people seeking sanctuary in Wales.

Thank you, Minister. I recently met with a representative from the Displaced People in Action group, who are advocating that we have an opportunity to help Afghan and Ukrainian refugees in Wales to gain skill sets that will help them both integrate here and will be useful if and when they're able to return to their home countries. An example that has already been mentioned in the Chamber before would be to give Afghan refugees—many of whom have former military experience—the opportunity to train as HGV drivers. They also advocated that refugee organisations should be supported by the Welsh Government, especially for overhead and management costs, and be provided funding so that they can host projects that provide relevant services. I believe that is important with regard to Afghan and Ukrainian refugees who are uniquely exposed to being targeted by unscrupulous people to work for cash and below minimum wage, or could even be forced into slave-labour conditions. Minister, as the lead on such matters in Wales, what conversations have you had with the UK Government concerning plans to access the long-term needs and current skill sets of Afghan and Ukrainian refugees in Wales, and what pathways have been proposed to help them from being targeted? Thank you.

Thank you for that very helpful question. The Welsh Government funds crucial advice and advocacy services for people seeking sanctuary. In fact, just recently, a Welsh Refugee Council-led consortium has been awarded funding for the sanctuary seekers support service, and this is a successor service to the asylum rights programme, which we funded over the last three years. But we've also got our sanctuary website, which I'm sure you will be aware of, which provides information specifically for people coming through Ukraine and, indeed, Afghan schemes. As you so rightly say, the skills that are there, the skills that are coming, particularly from August, from Afghan refugees, those skills—interpretation, and many skill sets—. In fact, I met some of the Afghan refugees who were alongside us at the Urdd, and there were also women with skills as well in the health sector, as well as business skills. So, it's vital that, in terms of integration, those contributions can be made. So, we provide the information on access to health, education and employment, and the website also has translation text-to-speech software to ensure the site is accessible to people seeking sanctuary and now joining us in Wales, integrating and, of course, contributing in so many ways. We need to use their skills.

We have, for many, many years, supported refugee doctors as well, who are now part of our NHS. But, I'd have to say, the right to work is a crucial issue that I've raised on many occasions with the UK Government immigration Ministers, indeed jointly with my colleagues from Scottish Government. It is vital that we enable our refugees to work and bring their skill set, as well as access new skills in Wales.