Towns and cities across Britain are actively promoting the inclusion of asylum seekers, GB News has found.

The groups seek to promote local initiatives and community efforts from various organisations, including libraries, theatres or schools and universities, to make asylum seekers feel welcome.

This includes mental health and wellbeing support, hosting social events, language classes and help using digital technology.

As protests over migrant hotels continue in towns and cities across the country, City of Sanctuary groups seek to ease these community tensions by supporting assimilation.

Here's a look at some of the major UK "cities of sanctuary" - and which political party is responsible for running the local council (see map below).

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GB NEWS

Several London boroughs have City of Sanctuary groups, including:
- Brent
- Wandsworth
- Richmond
- Greenwich
- Lewisham

Wandsworth and Richmond councils also offer discounts on a range of leisure activities to asylum seekers, such as exercise classes.

Each of the above boroughs is run by Labour, except Richmond Council, which is led by the Liberal Democrats

Wandsworth Council offers asylum seekers a range of discounts on leisure activities

Labour-run Birmingham also has a City of Sanctuary group.

Asylum seekers are able to get support and services through the city's "migrant advice portal" and access language support.

The city council, which declared itself effectively bankrupt in 2023, also offers discounts to migrants on leisure activities, including trampolining and theatre trips.

Cambridge, which has a Labour-run council, is part of the City of Sanctuary network.

Its city council has further launched a new set of community grants to fund lessons for migrants, which include arts and cultural projects and gardening.

Labour-run Birmingham is also a 'City of Sanctuary'

Sunderland also has a City of Sanctuary group.

The city's Labour-run council announced last month it had temporarily paused plans to buy new housing for asylum seekers after meeting its targets set by the Home Office.

Newcastle is another "city of sanctuary".

Among the services offered to asylum seekers are employment advice and language classes.

Newcastle City Council currently has no overall control.

A number of pro and anti-migrant protests have taken place across the country in recent weeks

Labour-run Liverpool is also part of the City of Sanctuary network.

Liverpool is among a number of cities which have seen anti-migrant demonstrations take place in recent weeks.

Manchester, which also has a Labour-run council, is another City of Sanctuary which connects with community organisations to support asylum seekers.

The full list of City of Sanctuaries offering support to asylum seekers are:

GB News' deep dive comes as Donald Trump called for an end to sanctuary cities "as quickly as possible" last night, as he declared a "public safety emergency" in Washington DC.

The US President claims sanctuary cities, which are loosely defined as municipalities that limit cooperation with immigration enforcement, are really "sanctuaries for criminals".

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, August 10, Trump announced his plans to scrap sanctuary cities and place the Washington DC police department under "direct federal control", declaring a "public safety emergency" in the state.

"We have to get rid of sanctuary cities as quickly as possible. We're going to do it too, the US President said, adding: "We have to because it's a sanctuary for criminals, releasing illegal alien gang members onto the streets."