Activists prevent eviction of refugee family from their temporary home in Cardiff

Martin Shipton

An Ethiopian family of four was saved from being evicted out of their temporary accommodation by an activist group that confronted council officials and police.

The mother and father and their children aged six and seven have refugee status but were facing eviction after turning down the offer of a permanent home in a part of Cardiff they didn’t wish to move to.

Members of the Acorn Union – an organisation that represents the homeless – came to their temporary home when council officials and police officers arrived to carry out the eviction.

A spokesperson for Acorn told Nation.Cymru: “The idea that this family could be evicted is awful. If that happens they will be street homeless and obviously extremely vulnerable.

“They were served with an eviction notice some time ago, although they had language problems and didn’t understand what the document meant and its implications.

“Although the family has had the use of translators, the translators do not speak their particular language and that caused them problems.”

Oromo

The family speak a dialect of the Oromo language – one of up to 100 in Ethiopia. Although Oromo is the most widely spoken language among native Ethiopians, it was repressed for periods in the 20th century when the Amharic language was favoured.

Although the family is in temporary accommodation owned by a housing association, it is the responsibility of the local authority to manage their situation as potentially homeless people. If the family is evicted, the children would have to be taken into care.

The Acorn spokesperson said: “The children are at school where they are, of course, learning Welsh as well as English. Evicting the family would be devastating for them and must not be allowed to happen.”

After a stand-off the council and the police decided not to go ahead with the eviction on March 25.

‘Concerns’

A spokesperson for Cardiff council said: “We understand the concerns surrounding the recent eviction case involving this family.

“We want to clarify that throughout the process, we ensured the family fully understood the implications of their decisions by using interpreters for every conversation. They also received independent legal advice.

“The family was offered permanent accommodation in the city, which was deemed suitable based on their housing needs and medical conditions. Despite this, they refused the offer citing reasons related to health, proximity to schools, and preference for a different area.

“It was made clear to them that turning down the offer of a suitable home would result in eviction.

“We have exhausted all legal remedies, including reviews and appeals. The court released the eviction warrant and the decision to proceed with the eviction was only made after careful consideration of all factors. Our officers, along with support staff, conducted thorough discussions with the family using interpreters to ensure they understood and were making informed decisions.

“The family was initially served a Notice to Quit on May 1 2024, and we have been working with them since this time to find alternative accommodation in the private rented sector. Unfortunately the family has not been able to find anything that meets all of their specific requirements. We remain committed to providing support and assistance to the family in finding alternative accommodation.”

Consequences

The spokesperson for Acorn said: “The family turned down the accommodation they were offered because they didn’t consider it suitable. At the time they didn’t understand the consequences of their decision.

“They now understand the need to accept an offer of accommodation when it is made to them.”

The council spokesperson welcomed the family’s change of position and said housing officials would try to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

Although Nation.Cymru knows the identity of the family and where they currently live, we have decided not to name them or reveal their location to protect them from harassment.