A Welsh Senedd member who raised concerns over criminal gangs exploiting a payment scheme for asylum seekers was slapped down as "disgraceful" today in a shocking deflection by First Minister Vaughan Gething.
James Evans, the Conservative Senedd Member for Brecon and Radnorshire, had pressed the First Minister on the measures the Welsh Government had in place to "safeguard" asylum-seeking children "from all forms of criminal gangs" - but his concerns were slammed as "demonising" vulnerable people.
Evans said: "The UK Government's Rwanda plan targets deterring illegal migration, putting in place a deterrent to stop people entering the UK illegally, and protect the most vulnerable people fleeing persecution from disgustingcriminal gangs.
"The Welsh Government has supported unaccompanied asylum-seeking children by allocating £2.57million for 67 children from the UBI pilot..."
But he was interrupted mid-question by a chorus of shouts from around the chamber - to which he responded by urging Senedd Members to show respect.
First Minister Vaughan Gething slapped down concerns over criminal gangs as "disgraceful"
PA
Evans continued: "In light of this, can you elaborate on the special measures the Welsh Government has put in place to safeguard those children from all forms of criminal gangs - because what we could see from this scheme is a way for those criminal gangs to access money and exploit the most vulnerable people in our society.
"That's not something I want to see, it's not something my group wants to see, but the Welsh Government needs to take this issue seriously - because this is something that could really happen to vulnerable children."
In response, Gething said: "The member draws a link between illegal migrants and the Rwanda scheme, and the care leavers pilot on UBI - and I think the attempt to do that is genuinely disgraceful.
Labour Senedd Members echoed Gething's retort, as shouts of "shocking" rang out around the chamber.
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First Minister Gething (left) and James Evans (right) clashed in the Senedd today
Welsh Parliament/Senedd Cymru
The First Minister continued: "I don't believe that the Rwanda scheme will be effective; even the Home Office acknowledges they could only remove around one per cent of people seeking asylum in the UK through the scheme - that's an entirely separate issue from the UBI pilot for care leavers.
"These are asylum-seeking children: some of the most vulnerable people in our entire country.
"And the UBI pilot is about how can you better support people to make choices; to make sure they are not left vulnerable; to make sure they are not demonised by voices in our politics who are not interested in the facts.
"I encourage James Evans to think again about the link he drew, and to reflect on that, and to think when he next meets care leavers and when he next talks about the basic income pilot, whether he is prepared to look at a better path of who he is and who he wants to be... and not draw such a disgraceful link again."
Wales's voluntary UBI scheme had been launched in 2022 by then-First Minister Mark Drakeford, and aimed to give care leavers who turned 18 between July 2022 and June 2023 a £1,600 monthly payment every month for two years.
At its inception, Evans had described it as a "socialist pipe dream" which "would pay millionaires the same income as criminals".
Last year, it had received flak from Rishi Sunak for being open to "illegal migrants" - which the Welsh Government initially denied before a written question from Welsh Conservatives pushed them to admit asylum seekers were eligible.
Their leader, Andrew RT Davies, said: "Illegal migrants should not be getting a monthly payment in Wales, and this policy from Labour is nonsensical.
"The universal basic income scheme is a colossal waste of tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money and the eligibility of illegal migrants will act as an unacceptable pull factor to the benefit of evil people smugglers.
"Vaughan Gething should swallow his pride, admit this policy was a failure, and focus on the Welsh people’s priorities."
In response to today's exchange in the Senedd, James Evans told GB News: "Vaughan Gething is always keen to dodge scrutiny and this was no different.
"My question was completely legitimate, given that we know that criminal gangs seek to exploit vulnerable people both before and sometimes after they cross the channel.
"The fact that the Labour Government here in Wales is offering cash to unaccompanied children through their UBI scheme is both problematic and a pull factor."