Wales: A Nation of Sanctuary

Wales should have the powers and resources to make good on our pledge to become a Nation of Sanctuary. We were disappointed by Labour’s recent removal of the Welcome Ticket in Wales which allowed free transport for refugees on public transport.

We oppose Conservative proposals to increase the skilled worker and family visa threshold and fee increases.

We support the Migration Advisory Committees’ recommendation that the graduate route visa be retained. We are concerned that current proposals will detrimentally affect universities, including those in Bangor and Aberystwyth, with a knock-on effect upon local communities where universities are major employers.

We would support the repeal of previous punitive legislation which is part of the hostile environment, including the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 and the Illegal Migration Act 2023.

We believe that there should be changes within the system, including the ending of the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ clause and restrictions on employment while awaiting decisions, both of which un-necessarily force people into poverty rather than providing support.

Plaid Cymru supports the UK remaining a member of the European Court of Human Rights and we support maintaining the human rights which we, collectively, hold.

We believe that, similar to Quebec in Canada, Wales should have greater powers over migration – including the ability to determine our own Shortage Occupation List and granting the Welsh Government the ability to manage its own visa schemes.

Migrants play an important role within our society, contributing to many occupations including social care and healthcare in particular. Their contribution should be welcomed, rather than criticised.