A Suffolk council has been approached to provide accommodation for asylum seekers following the announcement of the Government’s five point plan to tackle the immigration crisis.

East Suffolk Council has received initial enquiries from the Home Office about housing families in the district after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a five-point plan, which included no longer using hotels to house asylum seekers.

Instead, the Government has proposed using disused military sites and holiday parks, as well as empty university halls.

Locally, controversy was sparked by the use of the Novotel hotel in Greyfriars Road, Ipswich, to house approximately 70 asylum seekers.

The decision led to Ipswich Borough Council seeking - and being granted - an emergency injunction in November banning any further arrivals, although a subsequent application to renew the injunction was rejected by the High Court.

In October, the borough council’s leader David Ellesmere called on other Suffolk authorities in more rural areas to take "their fair share" of asylum seekers, with East Suffolk so far the only other district to provide accommodation, with three places.

The latest approach has been made following the announcement of Rishi Sunak’s five point plan.

A council spokesperson said: “East Suffolk Council has received initial enquiries from the Home Office regarding the offer of possible support in housing families in the district.

“We are in the early stages of communication and await more detailed discussions regarding the suitability, safety and availability of potential locations.

“We recognise the need for sustainable solutions that minimise pressures on local authorities and their communities.”

Martin Simmonds, fundraising and communications officer with the charity Suffolk Refugee Support, which helps refugees and asylum seekers, called for asylum seekers to be found homes in communities where they could access support, rather than remote or separate sites.

He said: “We would always prefer to see people housed in the community, where they can access support services, have more independence and a better chance to integrate in the community.

"Those arriving in Suffolk are fleeing brutal conflicts and human rights abuses in countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Eritrea and Sudan.

"They will have experienced horrors that we can only imagine.

"Among the asylum seekers we work with we see acute needs - people with trauma and immediate health issues who have had their few possessions taken away and who come to our office in flip flops and the only clothes they have left.

"It is vital they are given safe and appropriate accommodation where these initial support needs can be met."

He also called on the Government to "speed up" the decision-making process for asylum claims.