Dozens of demonstrations are set to take place this weekend outside hotels used as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers, as tensions over migration continue to grow across Britain.
Figures released on Thursday revealed more than 32,000 asylum seekers are currently staying in hotels, marking an 8% rise during Labour’s first year in office.
Anti-migrant groups have organised a wave of protests outside hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers, while counter-demonstrations by Stand Up to Racism are also planned. The protests are expected in Bournemouth, near Cardiff airport, Leeds, Perth, and Aberdeen, with more anticipated on Saturday.
Two weeks ago, police braced for similar unrest, deploying 3,000 riot officers across England and Wales. Although large-scale violence did not materialise, the National Police Chiefs’ Council confirmed in a statement that “additional national mobilisation for protests this weekend has not been considered necessary. We continued to have national mobilisation plans in place to respond should the position change.”
Meanwhile, councils across the country – led by Labour, Conservatives, and Reform UK – are examining whether they can pursue legal challenges to stop the use of hotels for asylum accommodation.
This comes after a judge granted Epping Forest council a temporary injunction earlier in the week, preventing asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell hotel in Essex.
On Friday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said ministers were working to close hotels used for asylum housing “as swiftly as possible” under an “orderly” programme aimed at avoiding disruption for local councils.
“That is the reason for the Home Office appeal in this case, to ensure that, going forward, the closure of all hotels can be done in a properly managed way right across the country – without creating problems for other areas and local councils.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, struck a different note, saying on Thursday that residents had “every right” to protest against asylum hotels in their communities. He pointed out that while numbers had risen under Labour, they remained far below the 2023 peak under Conservative rule.
In a letter dated August 18, Broxbourne Conservative MP Lewis Cocking raised concerns to the home secretary, claiming residents were “understandably concerned at the prospect of an influx of unvetted men from barbaric cultures and particularly how this will impact the safety of women and children locally.”
He pressed Cooper for guarantees that if the Bell hotel in Epping were closed, asylum seekers would not be relocated to the Delta Marriott hotel in his constituency, which currently houses asylum-seeker families. Broxbourne council is weighing a legal challenge similar to that of Epping Forest.
Labour Pledges To End Hotel Use
Labour has pledged to end the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers by the end of this parliament in 2029. Cooper defended the government’s record, saying Labour had taken “crucial steps” in the past year, including cutting the asylum backlog, reducing asylum-related spending, increasing returns of failed applicants, and overhauling appeals.
Although the number of people placed in hotels has risen, government data published Thursday showed overall asylum spending fell by 12%. For the first time in four years, the number of people awaiting an initial asylum decision dropped below 100,000 by the end of June.
Asylum seekers and their families are entitled to temporary housing if awaiting an assessment or after approval if long-term accommodation is unavailable. The Home Office, under its legal duty, often turns to hotels or former military bases to prevent destitution.
Yet the growing backlash has placed refugee support groups under strain. NGOs report increasing hostility, with some organisations forced to install safe rooms, relocate, or even close offices due to threats of far-right violence.
Half of the charities assisting refugees say they have endured a “hostile environment” of intimidation, harassment, and safety risks since the riots of 2024.
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