Warm welcome

THE IMAGE of the young boy in Aleppo this week has brought home to us the reality of why so many people are fleeing from Syria.
An image can be so powerful. The media in general can be so powerful.
Some of the stories told in our media today undermine the proud history we have in Britain of welcoming refugees and eclipse the positive contributions generations of refugees have made to our society.
Alongside the church and Christian Aid, I write to appeal for us all to play a role in changing the story about refugees.
Churches and community groups across Monmouthshire and Newport are working hard to help those in need and to make people feel welcome. This is a story we should be telling with pride.
A few weeks ago at the National Eisteddfod in Abergavenny, I had the privilege of meeting a group of refugees who had found a welcome in Wales – a young family from Syria and a young man from Sudan.
When you meet refugees face-to-face you see past the headlines to the humanity that we all share.
You see the gratitude in their eyes for the lifeline they have been given.
You see the fear and sadness when they talk about the families they have left behind and explain why they had to flee, and the eagerness and determination to work hard, help others and give something back.
It is a sharp reminder that we should not be quibbling over how many refugees the UK can take in.
But we should feel privileged to be able to save their lives, give them a chance and make them feel welcome among us.