Welsh Reform politician accused of inflammatory rhetoric about Sudanese asylum seekers

Plaid Cymru has accused a Reform politician of inflammatory and dangerous rhetoric after he claimed attacks from Sudanese asylum seekers were "inevitable".

Joe Martin made a series of allegations about Sudanese people committing crimes, in the Senedd on Tuesday, implying asylum seekers from the country posed a safety risk.

He claimed the crimes were committed by men Plaid Cymru ministers say Wales "must welcome".

The comments were greeted with gasps, and Labour MS Shav Taj was almost driven to tears as she raised her own Pakistani heritage in response.

First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth accused Reform of seeking to drive a wedge between Wales' communities.

Martin, a Reform MS representing Caerdydd Penarth, asked the first minister about the "potential risks to public safety" of the Welsh government Nation of Sanctuary scheme.

He said defenders of the policy point to most cash being spent on Ukrainian refugees.

He said he did not know why it was "necessary to spend additional money over and above what Westminster already spends".

"You won't find anyone seriously contending that they're the reason the scheme should be scrapped," he said.

Martin then raised a recent attack in Belfast, for which a Sudanese man has been arrested and who appeared in court earlier this month, and the murder of Rhiannon Whyte by a Sudanese asylum seeker.

The Reform MS claimed that Health Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor and Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams had said the "same men" should be welcomed in Wales.

"First minister, what will you do to make sure that when the next inevitable attack happens, it doesn't take place in Wales," Martin asked.

In reply, Rhun ap Iorwerth said: "I guess... we're going to have to get used to this kind of contribution where there is an attempt here to drive wedges between communities.

"I, as first minister, and I know I speak for my government, will not rise to that from the Reform benches."

He said he understood the "difficulty" the MS had in addressing the Ukrainian refugee issue, referencing the former Reform Wales leader Nathan Gill who is in jail for taking money to make pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament.

He said on the tenth anniversary of the murder of MP Jo Cox "our focus... should be on finding ways of getting over divisions rather than trying to create them".

Shav Taj, of Labour, was almost in tears as she told the Senedd that she was a "proud child of immigrants" herself and she was "really proud of the fact that my late father chose Wales over and above England".

The Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf MS defended the Nation of Sanctuary scheme, which began under Labour and aims to help refugees and asylum seekers placed in Wales to integrate and access public services.

"Quite often, people are coming here temporarily because they are seeking refuge because they are scared," she said.

"To conflate the issue of immigration with the Nation of Sanctuary and then, of course, some of the vile stuff that we've just been hearing, is actually really shocking."

Sam Rowlands of the Conservatives, however, said it was "absolutely right for members of this place to ask for assurances from its government as to the safeguarding arrangements that are in place".

After first minister's questions in the Senedd, Plaid Cymru's Niamh Salkeld said: "The Reform members' contribution was inflammatory and dangerous, plain and simple. There is no room for such hatred in our politics."

Asylum policy is decided by the UK government, but the Welsh government has a role in providing healthcare and education.