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Owen Smith had claimed during an interview on BBC Newsnight this week that schools in his area are under pressure due to migration.

According to the New Statesman , "Smith noted that his wife is a school teacher and that schools in their local area are under pressure from 'significant numbers into South Wales of people fleeing the Middle East'".

Yet, as the weekly news magazine pointed out, the statistics suggest the opposite.

We've dug up the figures for school applications in Rhondda Cynon Taf - which the Pontypridd constituency sits within - and they are actually struggling to fill their places.

Last year, there were:

476 surplus places in RCT primary schools

And 715 surplus places in RCT secondary schools

Hardly any pupils didn't get their first choice school

Neither has there been significant immigration into the area

Just 2.1% of Rhondda Cynon Taf's residents were born outside the UK

The number of foreign nationals living in the area is actually falling

Between April and June this year, Home Office figures show RCT settled just 18 Syrian refugees

Plaid's Leanne Wood accused him of 'pandering to people's fears'

(Image: Rob Browne)

Ms Wood said: “The refugee debate to date has been driven by scaremongering and misinformation.

“To hear one of the contenders for Labour’s leadership, a potential Labour leader, joining in by misleading is pandering to people’s fears on this question and is concerning.

“Official figures show that RCT has accepted 18 refugees fleeing from war-torn Syria to the area, but the MP for Pontypridd claims there are ‘significant numbers’ of people from the Middle East across the south of Wales.

“Misleading comments of this nature have a damaging effect on our communities. I condemn politicians from all parties who use inflammatory rhetoric which seeks to divide and pander to politics of the far right.

“What we hear from extremists in Ukip should not become the language of mainstream politics.”

Even the Labour council leader says immigration isn't the problem in RCT

Andrew Morgan, the Labour leader of RCT council, said: “The up-to-date position is that RCT has accepted 18 individuals – not families – from Syria.

“There is some pressure on schools in the Llantwit Fardre area, but that’s not to do with immigration from overseas. It’s about people moving into the area.

"In the northern parts of the Valley areas there are surplus school places.”

Mr Smith's spokesman gave this statement

A spokesman for Mr Smith said: “We should be doing far more to make sure people arriving in this country fleeing wars and other terrible situations feel at home in Britain and are given all the support they need.

“Too many asylum seekers are forced to live in poor quality accommodation, with few opportunities to have their concerns addressed.

“It’s vital that both asylum seekers and the local communities that welcome them get proper support from central government, which is why Owen has called for significantly more money to be put into public services and housing in areas affected by higher levels of migration, and for asylum seekers themselves to receive additional support for their healthcare, schooling and language needs.

“This is particularly important in areas in South Wales such as Cardiff, Swansea and Newport, where I am proud that the Welsh people offer shelter to more asylum seekers than do many other parts of the UK.”

These are the ONS stats for migration into RCT

They also show that in 2015 there were 16.9 non-British nationals per 1,000 residents in RCT, down from 25.6 per 1,000 in 2013, The proportion for Wales as a whole was 38.2 per 1,000.

Also in 2015, there were 21.2 non-UK born residents per 1,000 residents in RCT, down from 29.9 per 1,000 in 2013, The proportion for Wales as a whole was 56.1 per 1,000.

The non-UK born population of RCT was pretty stable from 2005 to 2015 at around 6,000.