Syrian refugees enjoy more support than others, AMs told

Syrian refugees welcomed to Aberystwyth handed flowers to local people in July to show their thanks

Syrians are more favoured than others by a "two-tier system" of support for asylum seekers and refugees across the UK, AMs have been told.

Tracey Sherlock of the Welsh Refugee Council said other migrants were "still struggling" to get the paperwork necessary to settle and find work.

Hayley Richards of Oxfam Cymru did not want to "belittle" the Syrian crisis.

But special arrangements for Syrians sent a message that other refugees were "not as worthy", she warned.

The UK government has pledged to settle 20,000 Syrians in the UK by 2020 under its Syrian resettlement scheme.

Latest figures - for July to September - show that 294 Syrians have been resettled in Wales since the scheme was launched in October 2015.

Ms Sherlock, policy manager for the Welsh Refugee Council, was one of several people who told the assembly's equalities committee on Wednesday how "resourcing heavily favours Syrian resettlement".

Wendy Sherlock says refugees coming through the Syrian scheme get help much more quickly than others

Referring to Welsh Government funding to help resettle refugees and asylum seekers, she said: "We have four caseworkers working on that supporting 700 people over the last quarter.

"By contrast, our Syrian Resettlement Scheme supported 46 people, so ten families, over the last year with two caseworkers.

"All of the administrative things that people when they get refugee status through the asylum route find very problematic, they're not issues for people coming through that Syrian resettlement scheme.

"So, very quickly people get support around employment, education opportunities, whereas people coming through the spontaneous route are still struggling when they get refugee status to access perhaps a National Insurance number, the paperwork necessary to then move into employment and all of those other things important for integration," she added.

'Does send out a message'

Ms Richards, policy and advocacy officer for Oxfam Cymru, said it was "very obvious that the two-tier system exists" although she stressed: "That's not to belittle the crisis that Syrians are facing - it's horrendous."

However, she added: "It does send out a message to other asylum seekers and refugees in Wales, and this is also perpetrated by the media and the UK government, there's a real sense that Syrian refugees are good and all other refugees and asylum seekers are not as worthy.

"Even within the Syrian community themselves - Syrians who have arrived spontaneously don't get the same welcome as Syrians who have come through the scheme."

Speaking for the British Red Cross, refugee operations support officer Neil McKittrick said: "It's certainly not unique to Wales, this two-tier system - it's evident throughout the UK.

"On the one hand, when the first Syrians started arriving they were met by dignitaries.

"People who come through the normal asylum route, their first contact with officials tends to be based around a sense of distrust - 'why is it you're here? What is it you're doing?'

"So, from the very first contact that people have, that kind of sets the tone."

A Home Office spokesman said: "All those who are granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK are entitled to unrestricted access to the labour market and have broadly the same rights as British nationals and other lawful residents."