But campaigners say more needs to be done over access to transport, WiFi and education
THE warm Welsh welcome given to asylum seekers and refugees in Splott is being highlighted in an exhibition at the Senedd.
Oasis features in the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) installation that displays portraits of organisations and communities helping asylum seekers and refugees.
Alis Cortagena, 26, from Honduras, tells his story of seeking asylum with his family.
Oasis provided free meals for Mr Cortagena and his family when they arrived in Cardiff because their hotel room had no kitchen.
“You leave your family, leave your country, leave your friends and it is really hard work to trust new people. The kitchen is a safe place for me and that is how I give back,” he said.
Mr Cortagena said he went from a shy person, not knowing any English, to being the catering manager at Oasis.
His mother initially volunteered him to wash dishes, but Mr Cortagena worked his way up.
Now, Mr Cortagena cooks Central American cuisine in Oasis’ mobile food truck, Global Eats.
The exhibition, called A Great British Welcome, is part of a wider project shown in different areas of the UK.
Photographer Andrew Testa took pictures of groups and communities from the Isle of Bute in Scotland, Bradford, Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff, Bristol, Norwich, Brighton and London.
This includes groups such as Refugees Rock, in Liverpool and Breadwinners in London.
Oasis CEO Susie Ventris-Field said there were three areas Wales needs to improve on when helping asylum seekers and refugees: transport, access to WIFI, and education.
“If you are a new asylum seeker there is not enough funding and not enough access to prevent you from becoming homeless,” said Andrea Cleaver, the CEO of the Welsh Refugee Council.
MS Jane Hutt, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, said Wales was leading the way in the UK for welcoming refugees and asylum seekers.
“It is aspiring, it is ambitious, within our powers of responsibility, but our commitment to becoming a Nation of Sanctuary remains unequivocal,” she said.
Wales pledged to be a Nation of Sanctuary in 2019 and gave £2.3 million that year to support asylum seekers and refugees and charities helping them.
A government grant allowed Oasis to buy its building in July last year.
Areatha Comanescu, who was visiting the exhibition, and said: “Wales does a lot but there is room for more to be done. Asylum seekers are not given enough consideration, when they are going through a lot of upheaval.”
“Getting to a safe place is only the first step on a long journey for those seeking safety,” said MS Sioned Williams.
The free exhibition outside the Senedd can be visited until November 27.
- To learn more about the A Great British Welcome project, click here
- To read more stories about Oasis click here
This article was updated on 20/11/24
