A SCOTTISH council has condemned the "false claims and harmful rhetoric" which is on the rise amid protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers.
In a statement published on Wednesday, Aberdeen City Council called on those gathering outside hotels to "respect one another and to respect the rights of the people seeking asylum".
Anti-immigration protests have been taking place outside hotels believed to be accommodating asylum seekers in areas such as Aberdeen and Falkirk.
The National previously told how seven men were charged in connection with inciting racial hatred following a demonstration outside a hotel in Aberdeen last month.
In the statement, councillors said they will work to ensure Aberdeen remains a city which "welcomes newcomers and treats them with dignity and respect".
The statement reads: "Aberdeen has a long tradition to welcoming people from all over the world. In recent years our city has welcomed refugees fleeing war and violence from Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. "Many in Aberdeen, volunteers across all sectors and all walks of life, are supporting people fleeing wars and persecution and doing an amazing job on our behalf. "We urge everyone thinking of joining gatherings in front of hotels being used by the Home Office to accommodate asylum seekers to respect one another and to respect the rights of the people seeking asylum." The statement adds: "We condemn the false claims and hateful rhetoric that are threatening community cohesion. "We will work to ensure that Aberdeen remains a city that welcomes newcomers and treats them with dignity and respect."
The statement was signed by SNP group leader councillor Christian Allard, LibDem group leader councillor Ian Yuill, and Scottish Labour group leader councillor Mohammed Tauqeer Malik.
Protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers have been taking place across Scotland.
Over the weekend, a protest took place outside the Cladhan Hotel in Falkirk, organised by the Save Our Future and Our Kids Future group.
The group has since denied having links to a "neo-Nazi" group, after it was revealed Patriotic Alternative member Richard McFarlane spoke at the demonstration on multiple occasions.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a brick was thrown through the window of the hotel, prompting an investigation by police.
