Tempers flared on the streets of two major English cities this August as protests erupted over the government's use of hotels to house asylum seekers. In Dudley and London’s Canary Wharf, demonstrators, counter-protesters, and police clashed over a policy that has become a lightning rod for public anger, safety concerns, and political finger-pointing.
On August 17, 2025, dozens of protesters gathered outside a Midland hotel on Birmingham Road in Dudley, reportedly used to accommodate asylum seekers. According to BirminghamLive, the demonstrators chanted slogans like "whose streets? Our streets" and "two-tier Keir," referencing Labour Party leader Keir Starmer. The protest was livestreamed on TikTok, capturing heated exchanges between protesters and police officers. At one point, a man warned another protester, "We'll end up scrapping if the cops keep pushing us." Others shouted "shame on you" and "wake up" at officers, who had formed a barrier to prevent further escalation.
Despite the intensity, West Midlands Police reported the protest—and a simultaneous counter-demonstration—passed "without significant incident." No arrests were made, though there was some temporary disruption to local traffic. A police spokesperson told BirminghamLive, "Our priority is always to keep people safe and in every decision around policing, public order and protests we must balance the right to freedom of expression with the right to tackle crime so we can ensure public safety. The right to peaceful and lawful protest is a fundamental element of any democracy—and we are committed to upholding and facilitating this."
But while Dudley’s demonstration ended relatively peacefully, the atmosphere in Canary Wharf, East London, has been anything but calm. Once hailed as a "miniature Manhattan" for its gleaming skyscrapers and bustling financial sector, the area has become a flashpoint in the national debate over migration and urban decline. As reported by the Daily Mail, the four-star Britannia Hotel—known for its "superb views over the London skyline" and rooms that typically cost over £400 a night—has been handed over to the Home Office to house hundreds of asylum seekers. The decision has angered many local residents, who say they were not consulted and now feel unsafe in their own neighborhood.
Protests outside the Britannia Hotel have become an almost daily occurrence. On August 15, a group of up to 50 migrants arrived at the hotel at dawn, quickly ushered inside by guards. Later that day, anti-migrant protesters and counter-demonstrators clashed outside the hotel, with police making two arrests—one for throwing a bottle at officers and another for refusing to remove a face covering. The main road outside the hotel was blocked by hundreds of demonstrators chanting "save our kids" and carrying flags. Police had to rapidly mobilize to contain a group of "anti-fascist" activists who had arrived at South Quay station to confront the anti-migrant protesters, holding signs that read "no human is illegal" and chanting, "Refugees have the right—here to stay, here to fight." According to the Daily Mail, more than a hundred officers moved to kettle the group outside the tube station for breaching the peace.
Local residents have not been shy about sharing their fears and frustrations. Eleano Borisenko, a 31-year-old who has lived in Canary Wharf for five years, told reporters, "I don't feel safe. I've been here five years. We had no consultation. Nobody asked us any questions. They never said what would be happening and there was no discussion or debate. It was a huge shock." Another resident, Tracey Calder, 35, said, "We are forming a group of locals so we don't go out on our own. We are terrified." Friends Roy Knott, 62, and Jo Avent, 55, who live nearby, want the hotel to stop housing migrants. Knott said, "They get everything handed to them on a plate. It's serious. I don't feel safe and I know a lot of families who feel the same. The cost to the taxpayer must be huge as well. Can we afford this? There are police and security there all the time. People are so angry locally. I know people who simply don't want to live here anymore."
The situation escalated further when a man in his 20s, living at the Britannia Hotel, was arrested on August 15 on suspicion of common assault after allegedly entering a woman's home two nights earlier. The Daily Mail reported that the suspect, who was being held by police in Hackney, east London, is no longer living at the hotel. A Home Office spokesperson said, "It is our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases, but when foreign nationals commit serious crimes in our country, we will always do everything in our power to deport them after they have completed their sentence. This government has already deported almost 5,200 foreign national offenders in our first year in office, a 14 percent increase on the previous year, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streets."
Some politicians have seized on the unrest to criticize local and national leadership. Susan Hall, Conservative Assembly member and former London mayoral candidate, told the Daily Mail, "This is a prestigious financial district, but clearly Sadiq Khan doesn't care where these people are put, the safety of women and children, or the chaos on our streets. It took 12 days to build a Nightingale Hospital—so why on earth can't they build a detention centre?"
The protests and heightened tensions come at a time when Canary Wharf is already facing economic challenges. The post-pandemic shift to remote work has seen major firms like HSBC, Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy, and Moody's announce plans to leave the area, reducing demand for expensive office space. Despite some recent data showing a slight uptick in office valuations, many locals believe the chaos surrounding the Britannia Hotel will only hinder any recovery. Jules Durand, a French financial worker who joined the protests, told The Telegraph, "I think it's crazy. I may move. Everyone in my building doesn't like it but they won't act and come down here because they don't want to be on camera. I don't oppose the hotel, but I just don't want them here. I'm against immigration all the way. My area of France has been completely overwhelmed."
The debate over housing asylum seekers in hotels—particularly in high-profile or affluent areas—has exposed deep divisions in British society. On one side, some residents and politicians argue that their safety and way of life are being threatened, and that the government is failing to consult or protect local communities. On the other, counter-protesters and advocacy groups insist that refugees deserve dignity and support, and that the right to seek asylum is a fundamental human right. Police, meanwhile, are left to walk a tightrope between protecting public safety and upholding the right to protest.
For now, the hotels remain, the protests continue, and the debate shows no sign of cooling off. As the UK grapples with its approach to migration and integration, the scenes in Dudley and Canary Wharf offer a vivid snapshot of a nation struggling to find consensus on one of its most pressing challenges.
