“THE model of accommodating large numbers of asylum seekers in one concentrated site is not the appropriate way to accommodate people who are seeking asylum,” the Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner has said, as he calls for Home Office plans to buy buildings to house asylum seekers to be reviewed.
Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn was speaking after escalating tensions over plans by the Home Office to accommodate asylum seekers at Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli which has seen protests and arrests.
The Home Office is looking at further buildings in mid and west Wales, but Mr Llywelyn said that the Home Office should be following the Welsh Government approach of asylum seekers being dispersed in communities rather than being accommodated in one block.
Mr Llywelyn has written a second letter to Home Secretary Suella Braveman MP, calling for a ‘pause and review’ of the plans in Llanelli and saying the model “does not work for Dyfed-Powys.”
“I would reiterate from my previous letter my support for the Welsh Government’s strategy, which is to house people in a dispersed model,” he said.
“This is sustainable in offering a longer-term solution for asylum seekers within the Dyfed-Powys area.
“It is a model that the people of Wales support, have embraced and have successfully delivered to re-settle Syrian, Afghan, Ukrainian and general asylum seekers in recent years.
“The decisions made by the Home Office are in direct conflict with this.
“The model of accommodating large numbers of asylum seekers in one concentrated site is not the appropriate way to accommodate people who are seeking asylum.
“It is disappointing to see once again a lack of local engagement or any form of consultation by the Home Office with local service providers to understand the impact of locating in excess of 200 asylum seekers at the site, which has resulted in unnecessary pressure being placed on local resources and service providers.
“I would further reiterate the importance of proactive communication from the Home Office, both with local service providers and with the public.”
In Llanelli, protests have led to the area being “permanently policed since Sunday, 9 July and a number of people have been arrested”, Mr Llywelyn said.
“Dyfed-Powys Police have been required to draw upon resources from across the Force area to manage this extremely difficult situation,” he added.
“This is not sustainable, and they are continually assessing staffing capabilities and officer welfare, which will likely result in an imminent withdrawal of officers from the location.
“There is an urgent need for the Home Office to pause and review the dispersal of asylum seekers to the Stradey Park Hotel.”