{"id":8545,"date":"2016-02-02T14:24:23","date_gmt":"2016-02-02T14:24:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cardiffian.jomec.co.uk\/?p=8545"},"modified":"2016-02-02T14:24:23","modified_gmt":"2016-02-02T14:24:23","slug":"vandals-hit-mps-office-after-she-voices-concern-for-asylum-seekers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2016\/02\/02\/vandals-hit-mps-office-after-she-voices-concern-for-asylum-seekers\/","title":{"rendered":"Vandals hit MP's office after she voices concern for asylum seekers"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE office of Cardiff MP Jo Stevens has been vandalised following her vocal support for\u00a0asylum seekers.
\nThe Shadow Justice Minister last week condemned Lynx House on Newport Road for forcing\u00a0asylum\u00a0seekers to wear wristbands to claim food. The following day someone drew a sniper target on her picture at Labour\u2019s Albany Road office.
\nThe Cardiff Central\u00a0MP, who was elected for the first time in May, said: \u201cStaff came in on Tuesday morning and someone had drawn a bullet target over my face. The police have been involved and we have stepped up security.
\n\u201cYou can either think ‘I won’t say anything anymore because I\u2019m really scared’ or you can say ‘this is one person and I am not going let them stop me standing up’.\u201d
\nThe police have been involved and security has been stepped up. But\u00a0Mrs Stevens, who ran her election campaign on being accessible to constituents, may have to rethink how she operates.
\nShe said: \u201cThe police have been fantastic but my first consideration obviously is for the staff here because I was in Westminster.
\n\u201cThe awful thing is when I got elected I wanted to be accessible and visible. If anyone needs help, they know where I am and can come and get it. People can drop in at anytime but obviously with something like this you have to step back and think \u2018can we carry on operating like that, do we need to change how we work?\u2019\u201d
\nLast Monday night’s attack is thought to be\u00a0a direct result of Jo Stevens’ involvement in helping the Lynx House asylum seekers. Mrs Stevens however, insists it is not reflective of Cardiff as a whole.
\n\u201cThe vast majority of Cardiff is such a welcoming city, we are built on immigration,” she said.
\n\u201cI have had examples of people who are consultant neurologists and government lawyers. People who had very stable lives and were very wealthy in the context of the Syrian economy and they are coming here to live in a hostel on Newport Road. They are not coming here to scrounge benefits.
\n\u201cI got a lot of feedback from constituents and from outside saying \u2018thank you very much for raising this, we think this is a very concerning issue.\u2019\u201d
\nThe Welsh Refugee Council said: “We are\u00a0saddened to hear reports that Jo Stevens MP has been targeted for standing up for asylum seekers’ rights. In the current political climate it takes a brave politician to challenge the prevailing narrative and Jo has certainly been vocal in highlighting the plight of asylum seekers within her constituency.
\n“An open and informed debate is essential to an effective response to the challenges posed by migration but acts of violence and vandalism do not bring anything constructive, persuasive or positive to our society\u2019s conversation on migration or the refugee crisis.”
\nSergeant Jeff Lewis, from Cathays Police Station, said: \u201cOn Tuesday, January 26 South Wales Police attended an office on Albany Road, Cardiff, following a report of\u00a0criminal\u00a0damage to\u00a0a window. The graffiti has been removed and there have been no further issues.\u201d
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