Since the coronavirus pandemic, and particularly following the peak in small-boat crossings in 2022, hotels have been the main form of accommodation for asylum seekers. The government has said it is now phasing out their use.
HMOs have also been used to house asylum seekers in some towns and cities, although there are no published figures showing how many properties have been used for that purpose.
While most of the properties vandalised in Salford are believed to have housed asylum seekers or refugees, reports suggest some did not and that some of the buildings targeted were not even HMOs.
Police said 50 properties had been vandalised, most of them in Salford, with others in neighbouring Tameside and Stockport.
Greater Manchester Police described the attacks as “racially or religiously motivated” and said officers were monitoring social media posts that appeared to encourage the vandalism.
Some accounts sharing footage of the aftermath have described the properties as “migrant HMOs”.
When challenged, some users said concerns about “mass immigration” were being ignored. Others said they were concerned about properties housing groups of men “whatever their nationality” and argued it was “unfair” to suggest their posts had fuelled the attacks.
Police have made four arrests and suggested young people are being exploited by adults to carry out the attacks.