People living near an Altrincham hotel which is accommodating nearly 300 male asylum seekers have called for "tolerance and understanding" over the plight of the migrants.

Some 175 people attended a public meeting at Altrincham Methodist Church opposite the Cresta Court Hotel, which received the refugees, believed to be mainly Eritrea – one of Africa’s poorest countries – last week.

Trafford’s Conservative group leader, Cllr Nathan Evans, has taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to raise a petition against the influx of migrants.

Young men can be seen regularly taking the air outside the hotel on the car park while security staff are preventing anyone talking to the new arrivals.

But one man who left the grounds to visit a shop told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said in broken English he had come from Eritrea and had crossed the English Channel in a boat.

“I came five days ago,” he said.

“I would like to work here if I can. I don’t want to harm anyone.”

People living around the hotel largely indicated that they were quite relaxed about the situation.

Sue, 45, said: “I think this is just the end of a problem that is caused by a massive situation.

“These guys have to live somewhere. I’m OK with it as long as they keep out of mischief.

“It doesn’t look like they are going to be processed in a hurry and it’s a shame that we have a hotel in Altrincham that had a number of rooms for people to stay in who would spend money in the town that no longer being used for that purpose. So local businesses will lose out.”

Paul, 59, was equally balanced when he said: “I know there was a meeting in the church, which I didn’t attend. The most annoying thing about this is the lack of information.

“I understand that this is a highly sensitive situation, but I don’t think it helps keeping people in the dark. My mother lives close by and is quite concerned.”

Pete, 62, said: “A lot of people are deeply suspicious about the fact that they are all males. Why aren’t they here with their families? It’s very worrying.”

Dave and Jane are a couple living in a nearby street.

Jane said: “I think we should be investing more time in processing the asylum applications, rather than spending the money putting them up in hotels.”

Dave said: “There’s been no trouble. I think a lot of the worry is from people with NIMBY [not in my backyard] tendencies.

“It’s a problem that’s been caused by the last government, and Labour have been left with the problem. 

“What we are concerned about is not the asylum seekers.

"It’s the right-wing activists who might come along a do crazy things and stir up trouble and hatred. 

“We just want tolerance and understanding. There are neighbours who are terrified, but I don’t think they need to be.”

Steve, who is in his late 40s said: “They’ve got to go somewhere. I am not worried about the asylum seekers but more concerned about ****heads from the UK turning up to cause trouble.”

Meanwhile, council leader Tom Ross has responded to "concerns" raised by residents over the temporary use of Cresta Court, saying it was a decision made by the Home Office, not the authority.

He said: “The government also recognises that using hotels long term is not the answer, as I have previously said, but it has inherited an asylum system that is broken and there is no quick fix to deal with the massive backlog the country is facing.

“Trafford has a proud history of being a diverse, tolerant, and welcoming borough and we are dedicated to maintaining these values while addressing practical concerns, including healthcare and safeguarding.

“We are working closely with the Home Office, Serco, local health services, the police, and our community organisations to support our residents and the individuals seeking refuge here.

“I also welcome the involvement of our community and faith groups in extending support, as I believe that together, we can uphold Trafford as a borough that stands by its values of compassion and inclusivity.”