Maldon people are being invited to talk about ayslum seekers at a public meeting.

Maldon and District Refugee Support Group, formed this year after asylum seekers were brought into the town, is holding the meeting at the town hall on June 27.

Speakers will be Dick Williams of the Refugee Council and Dotlyn Huxtable-Paul, county officer for Refugees and Asylum Seekers. They will be talking about the current situation with asylum seekers generally.

The meeting will also focus on the effect asylum seekers and refugees have on local communities. Residents were divided in their opinions when refugees were housed at Mill House in Langford, near Maldon, in January.

While many felt they should not be brought into the town, others agreed a helping hand should be offered to them.

Town councillors passed an emergency resolution saying it welcomed those fleeing persecution while the support group was set up as a result. Canon Peter Mason will chair the meeting which starts at 7.30pm.

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