HUNDREDS of refugees could be housed in empty military homes and church halls.

Oxford City of Sanctuary, the umbrella organisation in the city leading support for refugees, has revealed it is in negotiations to use vacant properties across the county.

It is understood this could include several owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the Vale of White Horse. Churches have also said they stand ready to assist.

The revelation comes ahead of a vote today at Oxford City Council, where councillors will be asked to back a plan to house a minimum of 60 refugees in the city.

The motion – proposed by Green Party group leader Craig Simmons – also calls on Oxford’s two universities and colleges to offer more funded places to refugees.

Mr Simmons said one key aim of efforts should now be to set up a “reception centre” somewhere in the city – possibly in buildings owned by the local authority, such as the East Oxford Games Hall.

He said: “It is something the council could help identify and we should also be supporting host schemes.

“Oxford needs to live up to its responsibilities as a City of Sanctuary and set an example nationally for how these refugees should be welcomed.

“There are many spaces across the city, like church or community halls, which in some cases are rarely used.”

Welcoming the move, Oxford City of Sanctuary chairman Wyon Stansfeld said: “We could be doing far more in Oxford than what we have been doing and there is a moral responsibility to do so. The task now is for politicians and the public to wake up to the urgency of this crisis.”

Mr Stansfeld said organisations in the city already had resources to run a reception centre but needed a space to house it. He also said the county should look to accommodate “hundreds” of refugees, without using social housing.

It is thought there could be empty MoD properties in Watchfield and Shrivenham, near Faringdon.

A spokesman for Defence Infrastructure Organisation, which manages estates for the MoD, said yesterday it would not rule out the use of properties to house refugees, but said there were a number of issues that would need to be addressed.

“If properties have been earmarked for sale they may have been stripped down, but also if not all properties on a site are empty then it may pose a security issue. It would have to be looked at on a case-by-case basis,” he said.

The full meeting of the city council starts at 5pm in Oxford Town Hall, St Aldate’s.

A spokesman for Vale of White Horse District Council said: “We’re waiting to hear from the Government about what the arrangements will be and the role of councils.”