Let’s remember the welcome part of “Welcome to Wrexham” says Andrew Ranger MP
Wrexham has seen first hand the broken state of the asylum accommodation system in the UK with the proposal for Plas yn Rhos in Rhosllanerchrugog and the planning application for Oak Alyn in Sydallt. Both of these sites are now no longer planned for use by Clearsprings but this has brought into sharp focus the lack of transparency in the system as well as the short consultation periods for the public and local representatives to have their say. In the case of Clearsprings, there are questions to be asked around the use of public money for a private company to make profits as well as their poor performance (along with other providers) which was highlighted at the Home Affairs Select Committee last May. These are issues I have raised with the Home Secretary and await her response. The current contracts under which Clearsprings and others operate were issued by Boris Johnson’s Government and will last until 2029. Breaking the contracts would incur inevitable costs to the taxpayer and so we are left with the current situation.
I have had significant communication from constituents about this issue. There is considerable misinformation and disinformation circulating and certain actors who are exacerbating the situation for their own ends.
One area of disinformation is around the use of Houses of Multiple Occupancy or HMOs. This type of accommodation has been used for many years to offer affordable accommodation for people who cannot afford to rent a whole property, let alone buy a home. Examples could be student houses, or accommodation for those fleeing domestic abuse. Indeed, in many cases, HMOs exist alongside other properties in neighbourhoods around Wrexham and residents have either no concerns or are unaware that an HMO is in their vicinity. HMOs must go through the proper planning process with the council, be licensed and rightly residents can object if there are issues around maintenance, parking, room size, drainage and sewage systems etc. However, mislabelling all HMOs as being used by people seeking asylum and as a type of housing that should be viewed with suspicion and always opposed, is wrong.
It is important to note that in 2024, asylum seekers and refugees made up around 12% of immigrants to the UK and as of September 2025, there were 117 asylum seekers living in Wrexham County Borough in dispersed accommodation as there are no asylum hotels in Wrexham. The total population of Wrexham County Borough is close to 140,000 therefore asylum seekers represent a tiny proportion (0.0008%) of people living here (figures from the House of Commons Library). Language referring to people seeking asylum as ‘invaders’ is provocative, insulting and in no way a reflection of reality.
‘Nation of Sanctuary’ is also something that the Conservatives and Reform see fit to spread misinformation and disinformation about. ‘Nation of Sanctuary’ is an initiative to support those who are fleeing persecution and war, who arrive here to rebuild their lives. We can think of recent examples such as Syria and Ukraine where people have come to Wales seeking sanctuary and have become part of our communities. In Wales, the overall costs of the Nation of Sanctuary policy were around £54,880,000 representing less than 0.05% of the Welsh Government’s budget over the six years, from 2019 to 2025, since the Nation of Sanctuary Plan was adopted.
The protest in Wrexham recently saw local people walking alongside people who had travelled from outside the area to join it. Concern has been expressed about the costs of policing this type of event. The Home Office already provides funding for policing so to expect further money from them for an event organised and attended by local people is laying the blame in the wrong place. It is extremely worrying that protests like this have been infiltrated by known neo-Nazis. I have been contacted by people living in our city, people who are from Wrexham, who are frightened. Wrexham is their home and now they feel targeted and threatened. This is not the Wrexham that I know. Wrexham is a welcoming place, and immigration is part of our city. Our public services, health and social care settings, hospitality and manufacturing businesses rely on immigration. Language matters and the politics of division and grievance that populism and nationalism feeds gets us nowhere. We are stronger when we work together, communicate and listen to each other. Let’s remember the welcome part of “Welcome to Wrexham”.
