Caerphilly By-Election Lessons: Preventing Similar Outcomes in Next Senedd Vote

Ukrainian Refugee Warns of Electoral Disinformation Threatening Welsh Democracy

Ukrainian refugee Yuliia Bond has issued a powerful warning about the spread of disinformation during recent elections in Caerphilly, Wales, highlighting significant failures in the democratic process that left vulnerable communities exposed to hate campaigns.

Bond, who fled her home city of Marienets in eastern Ukraine following the Russian invasion and has lived in Caerphilly since 2025, described how campaign leaflets containing misleading information were distributed without oversight or accountability.

“What happened in this election wasn’t democracy – it was chaos built on lies,” Bond stated. “Leaflets full of hate, fear, and disinformation were pushed through people’s doors without a single barrier, without a single system to stop them.”

According to Bond, attempts to report these incidents to authorities proved futile, with complaints being passed between the Electoral Commission, Returning Officer, and police without resolution. She described the current system for handling electoral disinformation as “invisible” or “too slow and broken to matter.”

A particularly concerning example involved the misrepresentation of Wales’ “Nation of Sanctuary” scheme. Bond explained that while the program primarily supports Ukrainian refugees (accounting for 85% of its funding), it was falsely portrayed as diverting resources to asylum seekers. This misinformation created a vacuum that far-right groups exploited, leaving the small Ukrainian community in Caerphilly to combat these falsehoods largely on their own.

“It should never fall on vulnerable communities to fight national disinformation campaigns,” Bond emphasized. “That’s the job of the state, the media, and every institution that claims to defend democracy.”

The refugee advocate argued that disinformation targeting refugees and asylum seekers transcends politics and constitutes a safeguarding issue with real implications for mental health and physical safety. She called for treating such misinformation with the same urgency as other threats to public safety.

Bond outlined several measures needed before the next Welsh elections in May 2026, including a transparent system for reporting and investigating disinformation, educational initiatives about how disinformation spreads, and factual communication about programs like Nation of Sanctuary.

She also highlighted the role of social media platforms, where attempts to share accurate information are often overwhelmed by coordinated responses from bots and fake accounts that spread hate and silence factual discourse.

Wales has positioned itself as a “Nation of Sanctuary” through Welsh Government policies designed to welcome and support refugees. The controversy surrounding the program reflects broader tensions across the UK regarding immigration and asylum policies, which have become increasingly divisive political issues.

“We are not ready for the next election,” Bond warned. “But we can be. We have time – until May 2026 – to build something stronger, fairer, smarter.”

Her message comes at a time of increasing concern about the impact of misinformation on democratic processes worldwide, with electoral authorities struggling to adapt to rapidly evolving digital tactics. Similar challenges have been documented across Europe and North America, where false narratives about immigration have influenced electoral outcomes.

Bond concluded with a call to action for Welsh society: “This isn’t just about votes. It’s about what kind of country we want to be. A place where truth still matters. Where we don’t punish the powerless for the failures of the powerful. Where no one is left alone to fight hate with their bare hands.”