Swansea Refugee Refused Free Travel By Transport for Wales Told, 'This scheme is for Ukrainians - not people like you."

Looking at the website for Transport for Wales the scene is one of a happy multi-racial couple frolicking on a Welsh beach. The truth is the reality for Welsh Black people and refugees is very different. I have previously stated that Wales is the new race hate capital of the nation. 

Swansea-based Kurdish refugee Rahman Nejad was overjoyed after recently 

securing a work placement opportunity in nearby Barry. 

Critical to his decision to take up this opportunity was the Welsh Governments decision to allow refugees in Wales to travel free of charge on all Welsh trains and buses.This is a bold and brilliant initiative providing much-needed help to struggling refugees and stands in stark contrast to the English Government's hostile environment regime.

After working for a week, Raham left Cardiff on Thursday evening, 19th of May 2022, as he had done all week. When he arrived home in Swansea, he was asked to show his biometric card to the staff on the barriers, and there it was, he was questioned about his immigration status.

When Raham told the conductor all about the Welsh Government scheme, he was told that he should bring additional paperwork the following day to prove his refugee status.  

The next day Raham went to Swansea train station, taking additional Home Office paperwork proving his refugee status. Rahman was told point-blank, "This scheme isn't for people like you; it's for Ukrainian refugees only.'

Of course, there is no such restriction as a quick visit to the Welsh government website can verify. Rahman has been utterly devastated by this and hasn't been back to his work placement since.

When his work placement employer rang up Transport for Wales and explained the incident, the employer was told, "Well, if he's in job training, he doesn't need free travel."

This is the hostile environment signalled by the Tories and whose attitude has crept into all aspects of our mostly ambivalent, often contentious relationship the British have with refugees. This Ukrainian non-Ukrainian refugee distinction mirrors the traditional Tory division between deserving and undeserving poor.

In Brexit Britain, only white Christian refugees elicit high political support and widespread public sympathy. The hostile environment signalled by Home Secretary (more like homewrecker) Priti Patel found its perfect dog-whistle execution in Swansea that day.

What happened to Rahman is just one small example of how discrimination operates in countless similar examples happening to refugees every day in our schools, hospitals, and workplaces.

For Rahman, he feels traumatised. Imagine, just as he was getting back on his feet – racism and ignorance conspired to take the small joy of finding work experience away from him.

Let's hope Transport for Wales can ensure this never happens again.