I wish to make a statement at the start of Refugee Week. Unfortunately, the number of people being displaced around the world has grown rapidly during this decade; in particular, the return of the Taliban to control in Afghanistan, the brutalities of war in and around Syria and, of course, Russia's appalling, illegal invasion of Ukraine have led to vast numbers of people having to flee and seek refuge. Seeking refuge is nobody's choice; it is forced on growing numbers of families around the world. Sadly, we can expect to see more of it, notably from sub-Saharan Africa, not least as natural resources become even scarcer due to a combination of war and climate change.

Clearly, this presents challenges in countries receiving refugees too. Contrary to what we read on certain social media platforms, most people recognise the global issues and want to help. However, at a time of zero economic growth and with public services pushed to the limit, it is perhaps understandable that people will be more inclined to want to ignore the refugee crisis and focus on issues closer to home. This year, the theme of Refugee Week recognises that it is about our home, emphasising that we should not think of it as an either/or. If we feel that our public services are under so much pressure that they cannot handle a few thousand more people, the answer is that we need to relieve the pressure on our public services through reform and investment.

Our home is, ultimately, global. In the end, we all share the same resources, the same climate and the same broad challenges. We need to be able to build a home in Northern Ireland in which we can deliver economic opportunity and better public services for those already here and extend the hand of friendship to those who have been displaced from the most terrifying of circumstances. Most directly, in the Assembly, we need to see the implementation of a new refugee integration strategy that highlights the need for intercultural exchange and tackling misinformation. That would need to be delivered alongside enhanced race relations work, including the need to end the attacks on innocent people and businesses, the like of which we saw, sadly, in my constituency last week. To that end, this morning, here in Stormont, we had a visit from members of the Young Syrian Voices group, hosted by Barnardo’s, which has played a key role in the vulnerable person resettlement scheme over the past decade since a brutal civil war broke out in Syria. That work includes befriending, tips on resettlement and meeting up with others who have suffered displacement. It is a reminder that we all need to support people who come here to make it their home. This is our planet, so we need to make it a more welcoming, secure and sustainable place for all.