Amid rising anti-immigration rhetoric, councillors prasied the diversity of the city
17:01, 29 Aug 2025Updated 17:05, 29 Aug 2025
Around 400 counter-protesters stood in front of a hotel housing asylum seekers in Bristol city centre earlier in August, as around 50-60 anti-immigration protesters were kept back by police(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
Half of the over 1,000 people in Bristol seeking asylum are children with the majority living in three hotels. Councillors praised the diversity of the city and pledged to provide extra support to asylum seekers living in Bristol despite the rising rhetoric against immigration across the UK.
The total number of asylum seekers in Bristol is around a third of a size of one school year in the city. A leading councillor said this was an important context to show the scale of how many people are staying here, particularly given the proliferating headlines and protests about asylum hotels.
While other councils are trying to get an injunction blocking the Home Office from using hotels in their area, Bristol City Council is about to consult the public on extra support for asylum seekers. This includes more English lessons, free sim cards and advice on how to get GP appointments.
People seeking asylum cannot get legal work while they wait for the Home Office to process their claims, and can struggle to settle into life in the UK. The draft sanctuary strategy was discussed by the children and young people policy committee on Thursday, August 28.
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Green Councillor Christine Townsend, chair of the children’s committee, said: “Year 11 is one year group out of 14 school years. The number of young people who have just picked up their GCSE results is just over 3,300. Currently in Bristol there are 1,133 asylum seekers. So the number of asylum seekers living in Bristol is one third of one year group within our schools.
“That gives us some good context about the actual reality of the numbers of people who we are talking about — when it comes to a population that’s just gone over half a million. So it’s a very small number of highly vulnerable and highly traumatised people, who we have not only a moral duty, but also legal duties towards. 81 per cent living in hotels are families.
“Of the 1,133 asylum seekers, 689 are children in our schools. To put that into context, particularly given the current climate, I thought was quite an important point to make.”
Protesters have gathered outside an asylum hotel in Epping, east of London, for several weeks after one man staying there was accused of sexually assaulting two 14-year-old girls. Across the country, the numbers of people staying in asylum hotels have gone up rapidly in recent years, as increasingly more flee war and persecution by coming to build a new home in Britain.
Anti-immigration campaigners also criticise the high costs of putting asylum seekers in hotels. The extra support planned for the roughly 850 people staying in three asylum hotels in Bristol will be paid for by the Home Office, rather than the council. The help includes employment workshops, lessons on British culture and how to get support with housing and finding a home.
Another part of the upcoming sanctuary strategy includes putting on more workshops for communities across Bristol addressing their concerns about asylum seekers. Some have already taken place following the riots in August last year, when hotels across the country were attacked. In Bristol, anti-fascist campaigners defended one hotel from rioters attacking it.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Andrew Varney said: “One of the best things about living in Bristol is the fact that it’s such a wonderfully diverse city. We’ve got 297 different ethnic groups from 185 different countries. 20 per cent of our population was born overseas. There are 91 different languages spoken across our city, although I can only speak one and a half of them.
“There are 45 different religions freely practised. I think all of that enriches all of us, it makes Bristol such an exciting place in which to live, and we learn from one another. All of our various communities live side by side pretty harmoniously most of the time.
“Our City of Sanctuary status is an important part of that, the fact that we say ‘if you’re in need, you are welcome here, we will protect you, look after you, make you safe, and give you hope for the future’. I think that’s got cross-party support. We do have difficult times at the moment and I hope that this consultation won’t get hijacked by certain sectors of society.”
The public consultation is due to launch on Monday, September 1, lasting for six weeks. Then the children’s committee will approve the final strategy after considering the responses.
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