Were refugees targeted?

Photo: The Canadian Press

A general view of the Radisson Hotel Toronto East in Toronto's North York area is shown on Saturday, October 13, 2018.

Toronto police are investigating an alleged arson at a hotel temporarily housing asylum seekers amid concerns raised by an immigrant services organization about anti-refugee sentiment circulating online.

Police say they believe a fire that broke out on the third floor of the east-Toronto hotel earlier this month was deliberately set, though they have not spelled out a possible motive.

The executive director of COSTI Immigrant Services says he's worried because misinformation is spreading about the refugee claimants on the hotel's TripAdvisor page.

He says troubling videos have also been posted online.

And a refugee claimant from Nigeria who has been staying at the hotel for about four months says the fire alarm woke him and his three children.

He says he's concerned for his family's safety after the incident and he hopes to move his family to a permanent home soon.