Red wristbands for asylum seeker in Wales halted amid criticism

A policy requiring refugees in Cardiff to wear red wristbands was in the spotlight and will stop after it came under strong criticism on the heels of the "red door" controversy in northeast England last week.

British media disclosed last week that asylum seekers in Middlesbrough, northeast England, had complained after their house doors were painted red for so-called easy identification by a firm responsible for housing them, but which had made them the target of abuse and attacks. The firm said they would change the color of the doors following the complaints.

Meanwhile, asylum seekers in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, have been required to wear red wristbands all the time so as to claim their three offered meals a day, the Guardian reported on Sunday.

Newly arrived asylum seekers in the city, who cannot work and are not given money, are housed by a private company contracted by the Home Office. It reported that the asylum seekers were forced to wear the wristbands or they would not be fed.

The wristbands belong to Clearsprings Ready Homes, owned by brothers Graham and Jeff King.

Asylum seekers said they were told if they refused to wear the wristbands they would be reported to the Home Office. They had to walk from their accommodations to get food with the brightly colored wristbands showing, which subjected them to verbal abuse by some local drivers. They said the wristbands couldn't be resealed once taken off.

Local officials have talked about the problem with Clearsprings Ready Homes, and a manager of the company said they would cease the wristband policy on Monday. A photo ID card scheme is expected to be introduced in the future.

Newly arrived asylum seekers in Britain are not allowed to work or claim mainstream benefits. Some receive a small amount of money or a card to use in supermarkets, according to local media reports. Endit