8. Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:28 pm on 24 January 2023.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 6:28, 24 January 2023

Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams, and thank you again for recognising the challenges that we face but also the responsibilities that we are taking as a nation of sanctuary, and as a supersponsor. This has been an important responsibility, and that's why, indeed, we provide that wraparound support, which is what was always a key objective of the supersponsor route, and we do provide that wraparound support from the moment a guest arrives from Ukraine, and it has been in our welcome centres. But also, in more recent times, we have had some refugees arriving from Ukraine, some guests, who we have also managed to find a host for, because as I said in my statement, the hosting route has proved to be very beneficial to many Ukrainian guests who've come to Wales, fleeing the Putin invasion and atrocities, which, of course, continue. We do have that responsibility.

As I laid out in my statement, we know that there are more visas that have been approved—8,700 visas have been granted, as I said, in total, to people from Ukraine who have sponsors in Wales, and we have 6,300 Ukrainians through the Homes for Ukraine scheme with us now. So, I think we are very mindful, and that's why, indeed, in terms of the draft budget for next year, the £40 million, that is based on our commitment. This is not something we had in our budget before; the funding that we've put into the supersponsor scheme and the funding that we've put in to provide all of those services, those wraparound services, has been what we as a Welsh Government have seen as a priority. We have costed and estimated the cost in terms of those additional arrivals that we anticipate. It has been very slow, the number arriving. We actually also are working with the UK Government to check the data about the numbers coming, because some may not come as a result of the supersponsor route. But our doors are open. We are here to support those who will arrive. 

We do get an integration tariff from the UK Government to help with that wraparound support, and of course this is about the time that is spent in our welcome centres. But the vast majority of that tariff is passed on to local authorities to provide support. As I said, also, in response to Mark Isherwood, after people move on to longer term accommodation, the remainder of the tariff will move with them to the onward local authority. I think the reduction of the tariff from £10,500, which was when they arrived in 2022, to £5,900, as I said, is short-sighted, it is counter-productive, it will reduce vital funding whilst public services are under strain. The £350 per month 'thank you' payment for hosts will be made available to the Welsh Government for every Ukrainian household accommodated under the supersponsor route, but I have to say that these issues in terms of the cutbacks, the fact that the £500 isn't paid until 12 months into the hosting arrangement, these are the items that are going to be on the agenda for our meeting next week with the UK Government Minister, Felicity Buchan.