SCOTLAND'S biggest city "stands ready to fight" Home Office plans to resume asylum seeker evictions as winter looms and the pandemic rages.

Glasgow is the only part of Scotland to receive asylum seekers.

But leaders asked the Home Office not to send any new arrivals until the men and women still stuck in city hotels are found new private accommodation.

Hundreds of people were moved from flats into hotels by Home Office contractor Mears Group, who said this was to guard against Covid.

Many remain there after several months and an outbreak has since emerged at one of these sites.

Refugee charities fear for the impact on mental and physical health.

Meanwhile, a Syrian man, Adnan Olbeh, was found dead at one hotel and a violent attack occured at the Park Inn in June, with six people injured and attacker Badreddin Abadlla Adam shot dead by police.

It's understood that fellow residents had reported fears about his mental health and conduct the night prior to the violence.

The Scottish Refugee Council, Positive Action in Housing and others have also called for the provision of suitable accommodation for all affected.

But the Home Office now plans to resume "negative cessations" which would see those with no official leave to remain lose their beds and become destitute.

The department has already been warned local authorities will proivide "no operational support" if Home Secretary Priti Patel ploughs ahead.

Now council leader Susan Aitken and Councillor Jen Layden, the equality convenor, have declared: "The city stands ready to fight this, using all available channels."

And, in a strongly worded strike at Home Office policy, they tell Patel: "We probably should not be surprised at what you will look to do in relation to asylum seekers given recent reports that you asked officials to explore the construction of an asylum processing centre on Ascension Island and are yet to rule out using one of the Scottish islands as the location for this absurd idea.

"But to consider restarting negative cessations in the current public health climate and without giving local authorities even slightly more powers to protect the most vulnerable people impacted is unconscionable."

The letter states: "We are writing to you to ask that you do not move forward with your planned actions in relation to negative cessations in Glasgow. To do so in the current climate in the city would be dangerous, would put numerous people at risk and would be disastrous for community relations in the city."

Highlighting the increased Covid risk to people from ethnic minorities, Aitken and Layden say they cannot operate standard homeless shelters over winter due to the virus, adding: "Removing people from their accommodation is dangerous. It will not have support in the city, and it has the potential to impact on community cohesion in the city."

They go on: "There are other solutions to the issue of asylum seeker accommodation in Glasgow which we have also raised with you and your colleagues. If you commit to properly funding the dispersal programme, which we know is the biggest barrier to other local authority involvement in Scotland, we are happy to work with COSLA to support other authorities who might consider becoming dispersal areas.

"The city stands ready to fight this, using all available channels, to ensure the safety of those who seek asylum in the city and for the wider community too."

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.