A COUNTY COUNCILLOR is slamming the Home Office for creating a “concentration camp” in Pembrokeshire.

Cllr Paul Dowson says that putting people in huts behind barbed wire fences against their will, against the will of the people of Pembrokeshire, and against the will of community and religious leaders of all faiths “is nothing short of barbaric, is immoral and is probably unlawful.”

His words come as a letter sent by leaders at Pembrokeshire Council and Hywel Dda University Health Board, along with local faith leaders, to the Secretary of State for the Home Department is stating that proper consultation would have made it ‘immediately clear’ that Penally was not suitable for an asylum seeker camp.

‘It is unprecedented in Wales that people seeking asylum are ‘cohorted’ together in such a large number in unsuitable accommodation. We have real concerns that they are being moved out of rented accommodation within the Wales refugee support network.’, the letter states.

Demo to support asylum seekers in Penally (Photo Herald)

The letter shows community leaders are for supporting those in need of asylum, but not in unsuitable accommodation. The letter goes on to say: “We are keen to hold out the hand of friendship to those in need but we are also aware of the feelings of local residents and are keen to maintain a sense of ‘community cohesion.”

More protests took place in Penally on Saturday (Sept 26). At 11am those supporting the asylum seekers, around 70 in number, gathered holding colourful banners and placards.

The Liberal Democrats, Welsh Labour, and unions were all represented. There were several photographers from national, regional and local press as well as a BBC camera crew and documentary film makes from London present. During the demonstration which lasted for about an hour and a half speeches were made by Jim Scott (People’s Assembly Wales), Alistair Cameron (Lib Dem) and Marc Tierney (Labour). There were a similar number of anti-asylum seeker protestors on the other side of a line of police – holding banners, and signs. They moved to the main gate once the other protestors had left.

At 1pm they held one minute’s silence for Matiu Ratana, the New Zealand born police officer who was shot at a police station in London on Friday.

Cllr Paul Dowson was at the protest he said that he was there to support the voice of the real people of Pembrokeshire who were against the camp being used for asylum seekers. Cllr Dowson called for all sides to join together as one voice.

“We have to stop this concentration camp from being in operation. Everyone has got the same goal. Today we saw two groups of people from our community separated by a line of police officers. But why do we need to be separated. Every single person here, on both sides, does not think that this camp is suitable for asylum seekers. The council thinks the same, the police think the same, the health board thinks the same, the church leaders think the same.

“We have seen people in the camp shout that they are being kept against their will and want freedom.”

“People may think that calling this a concentration camp is harsh – but the legal definition is a camp in which people are detained or confined, usually under harsh conditions and without regard to legal norms. That is exactly what is happening here.”

“I will be doing what I can to get all sides together to form one voice for Pembrokeshire – one united people to turn up the pressure on Westminster to get these poor people moved out of our county to somewhere more suitable, so Penally can get back to normal, and so Pembrokeshire people can breathe easy again.”

Below is the full letter sent to the Home Secretary.

The Rt Hon Priti Patel MP
Home Secretary
Home Office
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Dear Home Secretary

We are writing to you to express our concern about the decision to relocate asylum seekers in Penally, Pembrokeshire. We are particularly disappointed by the lack of communication and discussion with local stakeholders such as Pembrokeshire County Council and Hywel Dda University Health Board and the local community.

Proper consultation would have immediately made it clear that Penally Camp is unsuitable accommodation, particularly for men who may have experienced trauma, great hardship and have been separated from their families. The buildings are in a poor condition, in a rural location with one village shop and no established support network. It is unprecedented in Wales that people seeking asylum are ‘cohorted’ together in such a large number in unsuitable accommodation. We have real concerns that they are being moved out of rented accommodation within the Wales refugee support network.

We have four dispersal centres in Wales: Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Wrexham. These areas have well- established infrastructures to welcome and care for asylum seekers. Accommodation, health, pastoral and cultural care and legal advice are readily available and funded in these areas No such infrastructure or funding exists in Pembrokeshire. It is our opinion that this decision is wrong both for our local community and for the welfare of these men who are seeking sanctuary in our Country.
Pembrokeshire is a warm, welcoming county and we can assure you that those who live here would be only too keen to show their compassion for those who have suffered greatly. Sadly, the way in which this sensitive issue has been handled can only have added to their trauma and given them the wrong impression of the area in which we live.
It has also created a sense of fear and uncertainty among those who live here.
We are keen to hold out the hand of friendship to those in need but we are also aware of the feelings of local residents and are keen to maintain a sense of ‘community cohesion.’ If there had been a more considered and caring approach, we would not have witnessed the ugly scenes that took place outside the camp last Monday (21st September 2020).

It is vital that all stakeholders be involved in any future decisions. We need no ‘winners’ and losers. We will all lose if we do not move together. We will do all we can to support both the local community and the asylum seekers you intend to place here, but we ask you to listen to our real concerns and reverse your decision.

Yours sincerely

Cllr David Simpson: Leader, Pembrokeshire County Council
Ian Westley: Chief Executive, Pembrokeshire County Council
Maria Battle: Chair, Hywel Dda University Health Board
Steve Moore: Chief Executive, Hywel Dda University Health Board
Angela Burns MS: Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
Cllr Jonathan Preston: Pembrokeshire County Council (Penally)
Reverend Rob James: Church Moderator, Deer Park Baptist Church, Tenby
Reverend Stella Hayton: Minister St John’s Methodist and United Reformed Church in Tenby and United Reform Churches in Pembroke, Templeton and Reynalton
Reverend Michael Bave: Bethel Baptist Church, Pembroke Dock
Father Mansel Usher: Holyrood and St Teilo’s Catholic Church Tenby and St Brides Saundersfoot
Father Matt Roche-Saunders: St David & St Patrick Catholic Church, Haverfordwest
Father Liam Bradley: St David and St Patrick Catholic Church, Haverfordwest
Abdul Haseeb Hussain: Imam Hamad Bin Khalifa Islamic Centre, Milford Haven
Dr Baba M Gana: Chairman, West Wales Islamic Cultural Association
Euryl Howells: Senior Chaplin, Hywel Dda University Health Board