TWO Portuguese women who have been instrumental in ensuring the voices of immigrants living in North Wales are heard, are calling for foreign nationals to participate in Welsh democracy.

Iolanda Viegas and Raquel Fernandes both moved to the UK to work, but since settling in Wales they’ve become pillars of the Portuguese community in North Wales, supporting other immigrants settling in the UK to understand the country and their rights.

The pair are joint Hate Crime Community Officers for Race Council Cymru and directors of CLPW CIC Community Interest Group, as well as working with Citizens Advice.

Now, Iolanda and Raquel are calling for foreign nationals in Wales to get involved with democracy in Wales to ensure their voices are heard.

In the 20 years since she moved to Wrexham, Iolanda has made it her mission to help other migrants living in Wales, both formally and informally.

Alongside the joint roles she holds with Raquel, she is also Chair of Black History Month in North Wales, Race Council Cymru Ethnic Minorities Representative for North Wales and elected Councillor for the Portuguese Community Council.

Iolanda said: “I moved to Wales from Portugal in 2001 because I thought there would be better job opportunities for me here.

"I was really drawn to the UK because I loved the music – I pictured myself living in London, working there, and going to gigs at the weekend.

"The agency I moved through told me I was going to London and that I would be working in a warehouse. I’d never heard of Wrexham until I got off the bus.

“I discovered I was going to be living in Wrexham – not London – and working in a factory.

"I found out later that I was being paid less than minimum wage at that factory.”

Iolanda found a better paying job in another factory and helped other Portuguese immigrants to come to work with her.

It was the beginning of two decades of helping fellow immigrants living in the UK to better understand their rights.

She continued: “I’ve always been passionate about helping other Portuguese people living in the UK. "I’ve helped them to get National Insurance numbers, sign up to GPs and understand things like Council Tax and tax credits.

"There is so much support there for people who know what’s available and how to access it, but immigrants don’t always understand their rights.

"There’s a language barrier there – especially for older immigrants who find it harder to learn English – and that was one of the things that led me to help set up the CLPW CIC Community Interest Group.

“We run classes for the Portuguese-speaking community in North Wales to help them improve their English and learn more about how things work here in the UK."

In 2015 Iolanda became the first women ever elected to become councillor for the Portuguese Communities in the UK and Ireland, representing her community on an international stage, and in 2019 she joined the team at Citizens Advice Cymru.

Raquel met Iolanda in 2015 shortly after her own move to Wales and offered to volunteer with the CLPW CIC Community Interest Group, supporting Portuguese immigrants in North Wales to learn English and becoming joint director. The two work together at Citizen’s Advice offering support and encouraging immigrants in North Wales to apply for settled status.

Raquel said: “In 2015, Portugal was not a good place to be a teacher.

"There were lots of teachers and not enough children, which made it difficult to find work.

"I was 35 when I moved to Wales. Initially I wasn’t expecting to move with my family, but after nine months my children came over to join me and now North Wales is our home.

"I’ve loved working with Iolanda to bring together the different Portuguese communities in Flintshire and Wrexham.

“For me the most important thing is that all immigrants living in the UK – Portuguese, Polish, wherever they’re from – understand their rights.

"Applying for settled status is a big part of that, but another one is voting and making sure they have a say in the country they live in.

"This year is the first time foreign nationals can vote in the Senedd elections, so I’ve been helping other people within the Portuguese community to understand how the political system works and supporting them to register to vote.

"Once they’ve registered, they can decide what they think is best for them, the most important thing is that their views are considered.”

From voting in the Senedd elections and responding to a consultation, to contacting your representatives and signing or starting a petition, there are lots of ways you can get involved in politics. You could even stand for election to represent your community.

For more information on how you can get involved, head to https://gov.wales/use-your-views