The South Belfast MLA, who chairs the Executive Office Committee at Stormont, has said: "Unfortunately, the number of people being displaced around the world has grown rapidly this decade. In particular, with the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan, the brutalities of war in and around Syria, and of course Russia’s appalling illegal invasion of Ukraine, vast numbers of people have had to flee and seek refuge.
"Clearly, this presents certain challenges. Contrary to what we might read on social media, however, most people do recognise these global issues and want to help.
"The theme of Refugee Week is 'Our Home'. This emphasises that, in terms of who should receive support, we need not think of it as an 'either/or' decision. If our public services are under so much pressure that they cannot accommodate all that need them, the answer is to relieve the pressure on our public services through reform and investment.
"At the end of the day, we’re a global community. We all share the same resources, the same climate, and the same broad challenges. We need to make 'our home' – that is, our planet – a more welcoming, a more secure and a more sustainable place for all, starting here in Northern Ireland. The First Minister and deputy First Minister can start this process by showing much greater urgency in the development and full implementation of a new Race Relations Strategy, incorporating refugee integration.
“We need to build a 'home' here in Northern Ireland in which we can deliver economic opportunity and better public services for those already here, and also extend the hand of friendship to some of those displaced from the most terrifying of circumstances.”