Yuliia Bond. Photo Daria Zhdanova

Martin Shipton

Ukrainian refugees who have settled in Caerphilly have been hurt by a petition that suggests they should not have been allowed to seek refuge in Wales, according to a prominent member of their community.

Misinformation about the Welsh Government’s Nation of Sanctuary scheme has been spread by Reform UK and the Welsh Conservatives with the aim of gaining electoral advantage ahead of the Caerphilly Senedd by-election on October 23 and next year’s Senedd election.

Discussed

A petition entitled “Abandon the plan to make Wales a “nation of sanctuary” on the Senedd’s website has so far attracted more than 3,600 signatures – enough to get it discussed by the Petitions Committee.

If it gets more than 10,000 signatures by January 9 2026, it will be considered for a debate at the Senedd.

The petition, created by someone named Luke Thomas, states: “The current climate regarding immigration is that it is completely out of control and in dire need of attention. The people of Wales deserve a parliament that speaks and acts for them and their best interests.

“More focus should be put on improving the nation for the people of Wales and put Welsh nationals first. Wales is one of the leading nations in the UK when it comes to poverty and homelessness, these issues should be addressed before we invite the world to our shores.”

Yuliia Bond, a leading member of Caerphilly’s Ukrainian community, has posted a response to the petition on Facebook.

‘Lies are spreading’

It says: “Today [September 29] in Morgan Jones Park, Caerphilly, we gathered with the Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt, Richard Tunnicliffe for Caerphilly Labour candidate, Lynn Gazal and members of our community – Lietta and her mother Iryna to talk about the Nation of Sanctuary programme. We shared Ukrainian traditional homemade cottage cheese pancakes and together we planted flowers as a sign of hope in our Ukrainian Gratitude Orchard.

“I also showed Jane and Richard our memorial tree, planted by a Ukrainian woman in memory of her husband killed in the war. Welsh and Ukrainian friends, host families, councillors, public figures and neighbours gathered here earlier this year – to remember and to stand together. Through the hardest days, this community has never left Ukrainians to face it alone.

“But now lies are spreading. People are told the Nation of Sanctuary is a ‘waste of £55m.’ Here’s what they don’t say:

82% of that money – over £45m – directly supported integration of displaced Ukrainians.

Refugee doctors retrained through the programme have saved the NHS millions and filled vital posts.

Through the programme children get trauma support, helping them recover.

People are supported into jobs – filling gaps, boosting businesses, and strengthening services.

ESOL (English) classes help Ukrainians learn English and Welsh, integrate, and contribute.

It connects people with Welsh culture and language, building shared belonging.

“Also, context matters: they shout ‘£55m; but forget it’s over six years, out of a £20bn yearly budget. And this is not charity. It is investment – and it makes Wales economically stronger.

“In 2022, Wales welcomed us. So why scrap the very programme that helps people integrate, find work, pay taxes, and give back?

“Important! Scrapping the Nation of Sanctuary will not stop people arriving – immigration is controlled by Westminster, not the Senedd.

“What it will do is leave NHS posts unfilled and put even more pressure on services. It will remove vital support from schools and classrooms. It will take away ESOL classes, meaning people cannot learn English or Welsh, making it harder to integrate and contribute. Families will lose the chance to rebuild their lives with dignity. People won’t be supported into jobs, means they won’t be paying taxes/giving back to the communities that welcomed them.

“Without it, everyone loses.

‘Burden’

She added: “Now take a look at the petition being spread in Caerphilly County – to scrap the programme that mostly supports displaced Ukrainians. We call Wales our new home and we contribute every day, so why are we being made to feel like a burden instead of neighbours?

“They want to take away the support that helps Ukrainian families rebuild, children heal, people integrate, find jobs and retrain to fill posts in the NHS. That harms both Ukrainians and Welsh communities. Everywhere I look there is misinformation about the Nation of Sanctuary and it is painful to see. These false claims make people believe we are a burden, when in reality we work, pay taxes, volunteer, and contribute every day.”

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