Welsh Refugee Council staff ‘harassed’ after Musk shares X post

Workers at a refugee charity say colleagues have had “their lives threatened” after Elon Musk shared a publish which urged movies of women had been getting used to “entice” migrants to the UK.

The Welsh Refugee Council (WRC) stated workers and volunteers had been harassed on-line after a video, from 2023, was shared on the billionaire entrepreneur’s social media website, X.

WRC stated the video was made as a college undertaking and exhibits a bunch of women explaining why Wales is a welcoming nation for refugees.

It stated it took “false and defamatory statements critically”, whereas the Welsh authorities stated claims regarding the video had been “completely irresponsible”.

South Wales Police stated it was wanting into an allegation of malicious communications.

The publish shared by an account and reposted by Musk accused the charity of “utilizing 12-year-old ladies… to entice migrant males to come back to Wales” and has been considered greater than 5.5 million occasions.

Additionally posting on X, the previous chief of the Welsh Conservatives within the Senedd, Andrew RT Davies, accused Labour Welsh authorities ministers of utilizing schoolchildren as “propaganda”, to advertise an “ideologically motivated undertaking”.

Davies added it was “extremely inappropriate for a political organisation to be going into faculties and utilizing kids in propaganda like this”.

WRC stated it was within the strategy of referring Davies’ feedback to the Senedd’s Requirements Commissioner.

The Welsh Conservatives stated they might not touch upon the choice to refer Davies.

A South Wales Police spokesperson stated: “An allegation of malicious communications was reported at round 11.30pm on Saturday January 11 regarding a publish on the social media platform ‘X’. The matter is being seemed into by South Wales Police.”

Andrea Cleaver, the chief govt of WRC, stated the video “was by no means meant as an advert to encourage migration and was shared to indicate the positivity of pupils”.

The charity stated the video was eliminated shortly after its publication, because of a “hostile backlash” and it being “used out of context”.

One member of workers on the charity, who needed to stay nameless, stated the abuse their colleagues had acquired in latest days had made them really feel “bodily sick”.

“There’s a sturdy risk it’s going to immediately have an effect on the lives of the infants, kids and susceptible ladies I work with, a few of whom have already been victims of hate crime within the UK,” they stated.

“It makes me really feel bodily sick to listen to that my colleagues have been abused on-line and had their lives threatened due to these actions.”

One other colleague stated they felt “disheartened” by among the messages that they had acquired.

“It undermines the exhausting work we do to assist others begin new lives and really feel protected in Wales,” they stated.

“I used to be significantly discouraged by the wave of racist feedback concentrating on workers.

“Wales welcomed us with open arms, offering the protection we had been looking for.”

WRC was arrange greater than 30 years in the past and offers recommendation and help to refugees coming to Wales.

In a press release, Ms Cleaver stated the charity would “urge everybody to hunt the details earlier than sharing or endorsing inaccurate content material”.

“The Welsh Refugee Council want to make clear that we didn’t create or fee the video at present being circulated,” she stated.

“Whereas we weren’t concerned in its manufacturing, we re-shared the publish as a constructive instance of younger individuals championing messages of compassion and inclusion.

“We take any false or defamatory statements critically and are working intently with the police and related authorities to deal with this matter.

“The Welsh Refugee Council stays unwavering in our mission to help sanctuary seekers and refugees, fostering understanding and selling inclusion”.

The Welsh authorities stated: “The claims regarding this video are unfaithful and completely irresponsible.

“The video in query was produced by a bunch of younger kids to indicate their faculty as a welcoming place. The video was withdrawn in 2023 following intensive on-line abuse acquired by the varsity.

“Anyone who cares in regards to the security of our younger individuals shouldn’t be sharing false claims about them.”

PJ Wales is trying to contact Musk for remark.