Labour councillors have reportedly suggested asylum seekers should be housed in town centres to help them integrate with locals. In leaked emails, two councillors at Havant Borough Council in Hampshire discuss options to house migrants.

Gillian Harris reportedly wrote in one email, said to be dated July 31: “Asylum seekers need to be placed near to shops and communities. It can counter racist rhetoric being peddled”.

Fellow councillor, Jason Horton, reportedly wrote on August 11: “We should consider locations of schools, shops, surgeries and transport where asylum seekers can meet locals and integrate”.

The emails, which have not been seen by the Express, were reported in The Sun newspaper on Sunday (August 17). Ms Harris said the full sentence from her message reads: “HBC (Havant Borough Council) needs to willingly participate in the Asylum Dispersal Programme and disseminate information to support our actions and counter the racist rhetoric being peddled”.

The councillor told the Express she went on to say when the Home Office is looking to place asylum seekers, proximity to amenities such as shops, libraries and support groups needs to be considered.

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman told The Sun that to want to house asylum seekers in the area “against the wishes” of locals was “one of the most out of touch things” she had ever heard.

Ms Braverman, who is the MP for Waterlooville, said: “These councillors should put their money where their mouth is (sic) and take in these asylum seekers. These people have broken into our country. They need to be securely detained before being deported.”

Scores of anti-migrant protesters gathered in the streets of Waterlooville in July to demonstrate against a newly built block of flats potentially being used to house asylum seekers.

Mr Horton’s message was part of a discussion about alleged misinformation from Mrs Braverman. The councillor told the Express it has been government policy since 2022, when Mrs Braverman was Home Secretary, for asylum seekers to be disbursed to communities across the UK.

He said: “This policy does not place any undue pressure on a single council to provide services for a large number of people. The decision where to house asylum seekers belongs with the Home Office. Local councils concern ourselves with providing the best and most cost effective services to our residents that we are able given our funds.”

Mr Horton added: “We should cooperate with the government of the day, whoever it may be, to ensure residents who join our communities are close to shops and amenities and are not isolated or placed in ghettos.”

He said the proposal to house 35 asylum seekers in flats in Waterlooville was for families, women, and children, but the flats were deemed unsuitable due to fire risk.

The Waterlooville demo was one of scores of anti-migrant protests and anti-racism counter-protests to have taken place across the UK this summer. Tensions have soared in some communities, driven in part by the number of those arriving and use of hotels to accommodate people.

More than 50,000 migrants have been recorded crossing the English Channel since Sir Keir Starmer entered No.10 on July 5 last year.

He pledged to “smash” the people smuggling gangs which facilitate crossings. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said the use of hotels to house asylum seekers will end by 2029.

Authorities began detaining migrants under the UK’s “one in, one out” deal with France this month.

The Government has said enhanced enforcement operations in northern France and tougher legislation in its Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill strengthens Britain’s ability to identify, disrupt and dismantle the gangs.