ASYLUM seekers will be given a warm and friendly welcome in Worcester, says council which plays an advisory role in rehoming.

A joint statement has been released by several city councillors after the Home Office said it would urge local authorities to do all they can to help house people permanently.

Asylum seekers are currently being housed in The Fownes Hotel on City Walls Road while The Pear Tree at Smite, which comes under Wychavon, is also allegedly being used to rehouse people.

READ MORE: Worcestershire councils say Home Office must house asylum seekers

The news comes after Worcester City Council attached itself to a joint statement last week, alongside Worcestershire County Council, Wychavon District Council and Malvern Hills District Council saying rehousing asylum seekers is the job of the Home Office.

Political leaders from Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green parties issued a joint statement announcing it is working with the West Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership to "ensure that the city plays its part in accommodating asylum seekers".

The statement, from councillors Mel Allcott, Marjory Bisset, Lynn Denham and Chris Mitchell said: “People seeking asylum in the UK are often fleeing war, violence or persecution in their own countries, and have faced long and arduous journeys to arrive here.

“These are people desperately seeking a place of security and somewhere they can call home and – if they meet the criteria for remaining in the UK – we know we can rely on the people of Worcester to give them a warm and friendly welcome.

“That is why Worcester City Council is working with the West Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership to ensure that the city plays its part in accommodating asylum seekers.

“Accommodation for asylum seekers is organised by Serco, working on behalf of the Home Office, with places for up to 66 people expected to be provided in the city over the next 12 months.

"The city council will play an advisory and supporting role, offering guidance on the best areas of the city for asylum seekers to be placed in.”

READ MORE: The Pear Tree Inn and Country Hotel allegedly used for asylum seekers

A spokesperson for the Home Office previously said: “The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain.

“The use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable – there are currently more than 37,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £5.6million a day.

"The use of hotels is a short-term solution and we are working hard with local authorities to find appropriate accommodation."