CAMPAIGNERS have warned of a series of planned anti-refugee protests outside hotels this weekend as they called on ministers to provide safe community-based housing for asylum-seekers.

The Hope Not Hate charity said that it had identified five demos targeting accommodation housing asylum-seekers over the coming days, including in Rotherham, Liverpool, Aldershot and Erskine, in Scotland. 

The charity described the number of protests as “deeply concerning” and warned that harmful rhetoric by politicians and the media is “emboldening the far right.”

Earlier in the week the fascist group British First announced it was planning protests at “dozens” of hotels.

It comes after a violent protest broke out at a hotel in Knowsley, near Liverpool, last Friday, attended by members of white supremacist group Patriotic Alternative.

A counter-demo was also held by locals in solidarity with asylum-seekers. 

It’s since been reported that a day-time curfew has been put in place at the Suites hotel amid security concerns, according to the Independent. 

Another anti-refugee demo was planned to target the hotel on Friday evening. 

Freedom from Torture chief executive Sonya Sceats said: “These small but menacing protests are a product of inflammatory rhetoric from ministers seeking to deflect blame for the cost-of-living crisis onto refugees. 

“But a far bigger movement of caring people is coming together to demand a stop to scapegoating and a compassionate system that supports people to rebuild their lives in our communities.

“Rishi Sunak must immediately end divisive policies and rhetoric that foment hate against refugees, tackle the asylum decision backlog and ensure appropriate community-based accommodation.”