The Welsh Refugee Council is a sister organisation to the Refugee Council

Refugee Council

The Refugee Council is the United Kingdom's leading organisation working with refugees and asylum seekers. The organisation provides support and advice to refugees and asylum seekers, as well as support for other refugee and asylum seeker organisations...

 and Scottish Refugee Council

Scottish Refugee Council

Scottish Refugee Council was formed in 1985 to provide advice and assistance to refugees and asylum seekers seeking protection in Scotland. The charity has grown considerably since then, and has its headquarters in Glasgow, and outreach work in Edinburgh....

, and works to help asylum seekers and refugee

Refugee

A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...

s in Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

.

Funding cuts

In January 2011, the UK Border Agency announced funding cuts for the Welsh Refugee Council, along with other refugee agencies across the country. It is thought that the One Stop Service, which provides advice to asylum seekers and refugees in Wales could face cuts of 62%. Whilst, the Welsh Refugee Council welcomes the decision by the UK Minister of Immigration, Damien Green, to extend funding until early 2013, it remains anxious over the potential impact of spending cuts on the services it offers vulnerable people in urgent need of aid and assistance.

In its response to planned cutbacks, the Welsh Refugee Council issued a joint statement with its counterparts in England and Scotland:

"Savage cuts to the refugee charity sector will force people who have already fled torture, conflict and persecution in their own countries to suffer even further while seeking safety in the UK."