BRITAIN First members who turned up to a city hotel housing young asylum-seekers and filmed them through the window have been branded "idiots" by an MP.

Peter Kyle, MP for Hove and Portslade, says members of the far-right group showed "a catastrophic failure of empathy" by turning up and recording those inside the hotel in Hove, which The Argus has decided not to name.

In July, we reported how vulnerable unaccompanied asylum-seeking children were being sent to a hotel in the city "with less than 24 hours notice".

A video posted last Tuesday by Britain First shows its members speaking to officials at the doors of the building, which is housing the young asylum-seekers.

Staff at the hotel asked the members to respect people's privacy. However, the members then began to film a person through the window.

Mr Kyle, who has visited the hotel himself, said: "They [the young people] were characterful, earnest and every single one expressed huge relief that they were safe and focused on a positive future.

"The stereotype of grasping, selfish migrants could not have been further from the truth - and some of the youngsters are clearly extremely vulnerable with signs of trauma and distress.

"Each of their legal statuses needs to be settled in the proper way but these are young people, they have a right to live free from harassment and abuse and threatening acts.

"Anyone that would seek out their location and demonstrate to them has a catastrophic failure of empathy.

"Protest against the system, but not against young people directly. That's obscene."

The Argus: Britain First filmed a video outside the hotel in HoveBritain First filmed a video outside the hotel in Hove

The Britain First members claim they found "illegal immigrants" staying at the hotel.

If migrants are found in UK national waters, on most occasions they will be taken to a British port. In August 2021, there was a record 828 arrivals in a day.

Under international law, people have the right to seek asylum in any country they arrive in. The Hove hotel is housing vulnerable unaccompanied asylum-seeking children under the age of 18.

The Argus: Britain First is a far-right political organisation that was previously banned from FacebookBritain First is a far-right political organisation that was previously banned from Facebook

In many cases, the children are forced to leave their family and country behind to seek protection from violence, persecution, war, detention, climate change, terrorism or the disappearance of family members.

The Home Office began housing the young asylum-seekers after places for them in Kent "reached capacity".

Mr Kyle added: "The young people there are abiding by all of the Covid regulations, they're abiding by all of the requests made to them by officials and staff of the hotel.

"Considering these are children in extreme circumstances, it's pretty incredible how relaxed and rule-abiding the atmosphere is within the hotel.

"Most refugees don't have paperwork by the time they reach our shores but each of the children who have arrived here has been assessed medically as well as being interviewed about their age.

"And even though that won't be 100 per cent effective, they have undergone expert assessment.

"The only thing that an adult who protests outside a building housing vulnerable children is expert in is being an idiot."