Across the United Kingdom, a wave of protests and counter-protests has swept through towns and cities, shining a harsh spotlight on the government’s use of hotels to house asylum seekers. From Nuneaton to Bristol, Epping to Canary Wharf, hundreds have taken to the streets in recent days, driven by anger, fear, solidarity, and a deep sense of uncertainty about the future of immigration and community safety.
The latest round of demonstrations erupted on August 9, 2025, with a large police presence deployed outside hotels in multiple locations. According to the BBC, anti-migrant protesters and anti-racism counter-protesters clashed in Nuneaton after allegations surfaced of a “cover-up” by authorities regarding suspects—reportedly Afghan asylum seekers—charged with the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl. The case quickly became a lightning rod for public outrage, with Warwickshire County Council leader George Finch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage both claiming that officials had concealed crucial details. “While the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right, I am deeply concerned about the risk for these events to be hijacked by agitators who seek to cause disorder and division within our community,” Finch cautioned, urging demonstrators to remain peaceful.
Elsewhere, the activist group Stand Up To Racism mobilized supporters for counter-protests in at least ten towns and cities, including Bristol, Bournemouth, Liverpool, Leicester, and Birmingham. Their message was clear: resist what they see as far-right attempts to “stir up racist violence,” as one spokesperson put it. Slogans like “stop the far right” and “protect people not borders” were visible on placards and banners, as reported by BBC Bristol.
Friday night saw tensions flare in London and Essex. Outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, Metropolitan Police arrested a protester after a bottle was thrown at officers, and detained a counter-protester for failing to remove a face covering. In Epping, Essex Police reported that the latest demonstration passed “peacefully,” though one man was arrested for striking an officer and another for breaching bail conditions. These incidents are part of a pattern: multiple demonstrations have taken place in Epping since July 13, 2025, after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
Protests in Bristol on August 9, 2025, remained largely peaceful, but the city’s experience illustrates the scale of the issue. About 100 anti-immigration protesters gathered outside the Mercure Bristol Brigstow Hotel—one of many hotels now serving as “contingency accommodation” for asylum seekers. They were met by a much larger group of 300 to 400 counter-protesters, who arrived early to surround the hotel in support of its residents. Police, anticipating possible disorder after far-right protests the previous year, kept the groups apart for 90 minutes until the anti-immigration protesters dispersed. Officers had been granted enhanced powers, including the authority to ask people to remove face coverings, and a dispersal order was in place until the following morning.
The numbers behind these protests are striking. According to Home Office statistics from March 2025, Bristol alone housed 1,265 asylum seekers, with 892 living in hotels, hostels, or other emergency accommodation. Only four London boroughs and Birmingham had more asylum seekers living in hotels. The government’s reliance on hotels has grown sharply: as of August 2025, more than 200 hotels across the UK were being used to accommodate asylum seekers, costing the government £5.77 million a day—a figure projected to reach £15.3 billion over a decade, the BBC reports.
Local residents’ concerns are often rooted in personal safety and a lack of information. In Epping, Orla Minihane, a lifelong resident and aspiring Reform UK candidate, voiced fears for children’s safety after a man at The Bell Hotel was charged with sexual assault and related offenses. “We are not happy with these men in this hotel because we fear for our children,” she explained to BBC News. “If that makes me far-right then so be it.” She described a shift in public mood: “Before there were women and children in the hotel—there was a little bit of crime, most people got on with it. But now it’s the fact that it’s all men. It’s not a balanced culture.”
Not all residents agree with the anti-migrant stance. In Bristol, counter-protester Polly Eldridge told BBC Bristol, “It feels like a moment to support people who are very vulnerable. I think it’s abhorrent that the far-right decide that they’re going to do this outside where individuals are staying.” On the other side, anti-immigration protester Kevin Starr insisted, “This isn’t about racism, it’s about right and wrong. I’m not against immigration if you’re legitimately fleeing war.”
Asylum seekers themselves often find their lives in limbo, watched from behind fences or upstairs windows. Wael, a Libyan resident of The Bell Hotel in Epping, told BBC News, “I want to learn English and work. In a car wash or something. I will not stay here and take food. I have a dream—to make money and play football and have fun with my time. It’s a small dream.” But others, like two young Iraqi Kurds, reported feeling threatened by masked youths and described the psychological toll of living in a hotel room 24 hours a day.
Amid the protests, incidents of violence and intimidation have occurred. In Altrincham, a GB News journalist was struck by a placard while interviewing anti-racism protesters and reported the incident to police. The BBC notes that, despite the high emotions, police have largely managed to keep control of the demonstrations, though their methods have sometimes drawn criticism from both sides.
Calls for greater transparency have grown louder. Orla Minihane argued that more information about the demographics and backgrounds of hotel residents would help calm tensions: “If you conceal the truth and you act as if you are hiding something, people are going to be angry.” Epping Forest District Council leader Chris Whitbread echoed this, saying, “It is important to be transparent.” The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, David Bolt, criticized the Home Office for failing to build trust and confidence through openness about its intentions and performance.
The government, for its part, claims to be making progress. The Home Office says it removed 6,000 people from hotels in early 2025 and closed 200 facilities, while Labour has pledged to close all such hotels by the next election. Yet, with a backlog of 79,000 asylum claims and the continuing arrival of new claimants, the situation remains fraught. The use of hotels, while necessary in the government’s eyes, is widely seen as unsustainable by both critics and supporters of the current system.
As protests continue to flare and communities grapple with the realities of mass accommodation for asylum seekers, the UK faces a difficult balancing act: protecting vulnerable people, maintaining public order, and addressing the legitimate concerns of residents. With emotions running high and solutions in short supply, the debate over asylum hotels looks set to remain at the heart of Britain’s immigration conversation.