TENSIONS are "rising" in some communities where hotels are being used to house asylum seekers, ministers have been warned.

The claims come amid ongoing uncertainty over a planning application to convert a house in Newport into a hostel for up to eight unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Neighbours, councillors and the police have all raised concerns about the plan, especially the suggestion the hostel would be CCTV-monitored instead of staffed around the clock.

A local resident with experience in the emergency accommodation sector told the Argus a lack of supervision could make the hostel unsafe for its young occupants, who are considered vulnerable.

And at a national level, there have been multiple warnings in recent weeks that asylum-seeking children are prone to falling prey to criminal gangs, who exploit the youngsters for their own gain.

Many asylum seekers who arrive in the UK are first housed in the south of England before being relocated in other parts of the country.

Cabinet member Penny Mordaunt recently conceded it was "very hard" to protect vulnerable asylum seekers in hotels, and acknowledged there have been stories of gangmasters turning up at migrants’ accommodation and "taking people away".

And last month, a Home Office minister admitted 200 asylum-seeking children placed in government-run hotels are missing.

The disclosure was made after the Observer reported that a whistleblower from a Home Office hotel in Brighton had claimed some children had been abducted off the street outside the facility and bundled into cars.

The vast majority of those missing children (88 per cent) are Albanian nationals.

Back in Newport, the proposed hostel in Clyffard Crescent would be part of a UK Government relocation scheme, if it is approved.

Dozens of neighbours are among those to oppose the plans, for various reasons ranging from fears of increased crime to concern for the welfare of its teenage occupants.

Ward councillor Miqdad al-Nuaimi also alleged the hostel, which is currently a house containing two separate flats, would prioritise profit over care.

Describing the proposed development as "cramped", he said the council had a duty of care to the occupier.

He added: "It’s clear the hostel proposal is aimed at maximising the financial return to its owners/operators instead of providing proper care for the wellbeing of its client group and their both physical and mental health."

Newport City Council is yet to make a decision on the hostel plans.