We'll Keep a Welcome… A Manifesto for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Wales
We'll Keep a Welcome…
Local Government Elections 2008
Refugees and asylum seekers arrive in Wales in search of a place of safety from persecution. Most come from countries suffering conflict or with poor human rights records, such as Pakistan, Somalia, Iraq, Iran and Turkey. The 1951 Refugee Convention guarantees everybody the right to apply for asylum and has saved millions of lives. The UK is home to just 3% of the world's refugees. We share a global responsibility to protect refugees.
Wales benefits enormously from the economic, social and cultural contribution that refugees and asylum seekers make to our society. Sadly, basic misunderstandings around refugees and asylum seekers are widespread and lead to hostility and discrimination.
As leaders in our communities, politicians have a responsibility to provide accurate information and to challenge dangerous myths on asylum and refugee issues. We are lucky in Wales to have some strong leadership in this area.
We are keen to ensure that political campaigning in the Local Government Elections in May 2008 serves to strengthen rather than divide communities across Wales, and will be asking candidates to sign the following declaration:
Keep a Welcome Declaration
"I commit not to use negative images of refugees and asylum seekers in the forthcoming election campaign. I will seek to promote a better understanding of refugees and asylum seekers in Wales."
Local Election Leaflet
You can download a leaflet about the declaration in English and Welsh.
You can also download a letter template to send to your local candidates to ask them to sign up to the pledge, as a template in Word format 
or as a PDF 
Candidates who want to sign up should e-mail policyandcommunications@welshrefugeecouncil.org
The Candidates
The following candidates have signed the declaration. Please check to see if your local candidates have already signed, or download a letter here to write to your candidates.
Thank you to all those candidates who have pledged their commitment.
| Council | Ward | Candidate | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff | Grangetown | Ioan Bellin | Plaid Cymru |
| Cardiff | Grangetown | Patrick Oaley | Plaid Cymru |
| Ogmore | Nantyfyllon | Lynne Beedle | Labour |
| Wrexham | Eileen Thomas | Labour | |
| Bridgend | Brackla | D Sage | Labour |
| Wrexham | Grosvenor | Susan Allen | Labour |
| Cannle | Thomas Tucker | Labour | |
| Caerphilly | Richard Pugh | Labour | |
| Swansea | Uplands | Steve Clegg | Green Party |
| Swansea | Sketty | Patricia Jones | Green Party |
| Swansea | Killay South | Peter K Jones | Green Party |
| Swansea | Uplands | Holly Machin | Green Party |
| Swansea | Uplands | Andrew Smith | Green Party |
| Swansea | Penderry | Tony Young | Green Party |
| Swansea | Penderry | Linda Beynon | Green Party |
| Caerphilly | St James | Lynne Hughes | Plaid Cymru |
| Cardiff | Lisvane Ward | Paul Jeffries | Labour |