Protests targeting the use of hotels to house asylum seekers have erupted across the United Kingdom, with demonstrations taking place in multiple cities and towns throughout England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Widespread Demonstrations
The protests occurred in numerous locations including Bristol, Liverpool, London, Exeter, Tamworth, Cannock, Nuneaton, Wakefield, Newcastle, and Horley in Surrey. In Wales, demonstrators gathered in Mold, while Scotland saw protests in Perth. Northern Ireland experienced demonstrations in County Antrim.
Police forces deployed additional officers and utilized special powers to maintain order, keeping opposing groups separated as anti-racism campaigners organized counter-demonstrations at most locations.
Major Incidents
Bristol: Several hundred anti-racism protesters significantly outnumbered dozens of anti-migration demonstrators in Castle Park. Police in riot gear and on horseback maintained separation between the groups for nearly two hours, with some protesters attempting to push through police lines.
Liverpool: Over 400 people participated in a UKIP-organized march calling for migrant deportation. They faced opposition from several hundred counter-protesters from Stand Up To Racism and the Merseyside Anti-Fascist Network. Merseyside Police arrested 11 individuals for various offenses including public disorder, assault, and affray.
Scotland: Approximately 150 protesters gathered outside Perth’s Radisson Blu hotel, chanting and displaying signs reading “get them out.” More than 200 counter-protesters assembled across the street with banners stating “no to racism” and “refugees welcome.”
Wales: Around 300 people protested in Mold against potential asylum seeker accommodation plans for flats above a retail unit. They were met by approximately 40 counter-protesters carrying “no to racism” and “asylum seekers welcome” banners.
Legal Developments
The protests follow a significant High Court ruling earlier this week that granted Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction preventing the placement of asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel in Essex. The council successfully argued that the hotel had violated local planning regulations by changing its designated use, creating public safety risks.
The legal action was prompted by events last month when crowds protested outside the Bell Hotel after an asylum seeker residing there was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. The government is currently seeking permission to appeal the court’s decision.
Government Response and Context
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has committed to closing all asylum hotels but emphasized the need for “a properly managed” approach to the transition. The UK remains legally obligated to provide accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise face destitution while awaiting decisions on their claims.
Recent government figures reveal that 32,059 asylum seekers are currently housed in hotels—an 8% increase since Labour took power but below the 2023 peak. Some local authorities in England are now considering their own legal challenges following the Epping court ruling.
Bristol City Council has stated it has no plans to challenge the government’s use of hotels for asylum seekers in the city, while Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has launched an investigation into the legal planning status of a hotel being used for this purpose.
Additional protests are scheduled for Sunday, continuing a pattern of demonstrations that have intensified in recent weeks across the country.
