Wolverhampton should be turned into a “city of sanctuary” which welcomes refugees and asylum seekers and celebrates their contribution, a taxpayer funded organisation has said.

Wolverhampton Network Consortium, which handles around £1 million a year in grants through sources such as the European Regional Development Fund, wants the city to join 18 others in building “a culture of hospitality”.

It is urging businesses to put up signs saying “we welcome refugees”.

But critics have said it is the wrong time to be encouraging immigration to Wolverhampton after the city was hit badly by the recession, and has one of the highest unemployment rates in Britain.

In an email Geoff Boswell, funding and partnerships co-ordinator at the Snow Hill-based consortium, said: “The essence of this initiative is to build a culture of hospitality for people seeking sanctuary in the UK.

“Our goal is to create a network of towns and cities throughout the country which are proud to be places of safety, and which include people seeking sanctuary fully in the life of their communities.”

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