Warm welcome for asylum seekers

By Joanne Hughes BBC News Online

Wrexham is home to a small community of refugees and asylum seekers

The drop-in centre above a church in Wrexham is anonymous to shoppers passing by.

But for asylum seekers and refugees dispersed to the north Wales town, the winding stairs lead to a warm welcome.

Up to 40 people of all nationalities regularly attend the centre, which is open on a Thursday.

They are free to come and go, mingle with locals and fellow asylum seekers or sit quietly soaking up the atmosphere.

When I arrive, a small number of asylum seekers and refugees have gathered to take shelter from the rain - but they are reluctant to speak to me.

Wrexham's Caia Park was in the headlines for the wrong reasons recently when there were disturbances on the estate.

Community development worker Elaine Jones, who runs the centre on behalf of the Methodist Church, said visitors were nervous when they first arrived.

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"They've come from all over the world and they don't even know each other.

"It's very difficult to form partnerships when you're traumatised, you've been in a detention centre and then you are processed and duly sent to an area where you are now to live and you've never seen the people before.

"We felt it would be very good if they could come in here and learn about what it's like to live in our community in a friendly and non-threatening way.

"It's lovely to see how they begin to relax and tell us who they are... they'll come and tell us that they are veterinary surgeons, they are doctors, they are builders and labourers.

"You begin to see there is not a big difference between them and us except that they fear for their very lives.

Elaine Jones runs the Wrexham drop-in centre

"We can't really understand what it's like to live in the kind of country where you are not free to live your own life."

Visitors to the centre can drink as much tea and coffee as they like and lunch is served around a table where everyone sits together.

Mrs Jones said the asylum seekers and refugees are grateful for the help they receive.

"When they come over here, they're not all just looking for work, although they will not sit on benefits because they don't come from a culture of dependency.

"They believe in working for a living but they can't do this until they have refugee status.

"Some of the stories that they have been able to tell us have been horrendous."

All of these people have skills that can help run the country Alun Jenkins, deputy leader, Wrexham council

Wrexham is the only town in north Wales approved as a dispersal town for asylum seekers.

A private contractor, rather than the council, provides 20 houses which can take up to 80 asylum seekers.

Wrexham Council's deputy leader, Alun Jenkins, said people opposed to helping refugees and asylum seekers needed to understand that many could help the local economy.

"Those refugees who are employed in this country are contributing £1bn more towards the finances of this country," he said.

"All of these people have skills that can help run the country."

He added that some local people are wrong in their belief that they are being given extra financial help.

"All of these refugees have got jobs, they are free to spend their money as they want to," he said.

"They can buy cars, mobile phones but there's this feeling that they're here scrounging, that they're being given money for phones and so on - that's quite untrue."