On Saturday, August 23, 2025, cities and towns across the United Kingdom became the stage for a series of tense protests and counter-protests over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers. From Liverpool and Bristol to Perth and Mold, demonstrators with sharply opposed views converged, their banners and chants echoing the deepening divisions in British society over migration policy.
In Liverpool, Merseyside Police reported 11 arrests after a UKIP-organized protest calling for migrant deportations met a robust response from counter-protesters, including Stand Up To Racism and the Merseyside Anti-Fascist Network. According to BBC and Sky News, more than 400 people turned out for the anti-immigration march, while a few hundred anti-racism campaigners gathered nearby. Police issued a dispersal order in the city center, seeking to contain the unrest as tempers flared and accusations flew between the two sides.
Similar scenes played out in Bristol, where Castle Park saw several hundred anti-racism protesters outnumbering dozens of anti-migrant campaigners. Officers in riot gear and on horseback worked for nearly two hours to keep the groups apart, with some protesters pushing at police lines in an attempt to break through. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed a 37-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker, though Chief Inspector Keith Smith later stated, "While there were moments of disturbance, we're pleased to say the two protests have passed without significant incident." No officers required hospital treatment, but inquiries into reports of assaults on police are ongoing.
In Horley, Surrey, police kept around 200 anti-immigration protesters—many draped in English flags—separated from roughly 50 Stand Up to Racism activists. The anti-immigration demonstrators chanted in support of far-right activist Tommy Robinson, while the counter-protesters responded with, "Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here." The Stand Up to Racism group was eventually shepherded into a smaller area as tensions simmered, with shouts of "No they're f****** not" coming from the opposing side.
Perth, Scotland, saw one of the largest gatherings, with about 150 anti-migration protesters assembling outside the Radisson Blu hotel on Leonard Street, brandishing signs like "get them out" and "Perth is full - empty the hotels." Across the street, approximately 250 counter-protesters unfurled banners reading "no to racism" and "refugees welcome." A sizable police presence kept the two groups apart near the Perth Railway Station car park.
Mary Alexander from Perth Against Racism, speaking to BBC Scotland, condemned the language used by some anti-asylum seeker protesters, describing it as "horrific" and a catalyst for violence. She declared, "We are here to show our solidarity and support to asylum seekers and to oppose the language that is being used by the right to demonise communities of asylum seekers. We have always been a country that has welcomed people fleeing persecution, war and famine." Alexander continued, "There are problems in society, but those problems are not caused by asylum seekers—they are caused by politicians and policies. Instead of coming here and shouting abuse at asylum seekers, this group should be going down to councils and the Scottish parliament and making their views known about the policies they don't like. But it's not asylum seekers that are causing the problem."
Local authorities in Perth and Kinross echoed this sentiment. The council's community safety partnership accused some protesters of spreading misinformation, stating that those demonstrating "under the guise of public safety or protection, do so with no local factual evidence." The partnership further confirmed that there had been no community safety issues with asylum seekers accommodated in Perth. In a joint statement, council leaders defended the right to peaceful protest but criticized demonstrations targeting asylum seekers, saying, "Protests targeted at those who in many cases have lost their homes and family members to war, does not reflect the compassion, solidarity and fairness our communities are known for."
Elsewhere in the UK, the pattern repeated. In Mold, Wales, about 300 people protested against proposed asylum seeker accommodation, confronted by 40 counter-protesters carrying "no to racism" and "asylum seekers welcome" banners. In County Antrim, Northern Ireland, 40 people gathered outside a hotel being used to house asylum seekers as the local council initiated a legal investigation into the hotel's planning status.
The roots of this wave of protests trace back to late July, when hundreds—and sometimes thousands—of people began gathering outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex. The catalyst was the arrest and charging of Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a 38-year-old asylum seeker, for allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Kebatu denies the allegations and is scheduled to stand trial later in August. The case sparked not only local outrage but also a High Court ruling on August 19, 2025, granting Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction to prevent the hotel from accommodating asylum seekers. The council argued that a change in the hotel's use had breached planning controls and posed a public safety risk. The government is currently seeking permission to appeal the decision, as reported by BBC.
These demonstrations have been widely promoted on social media, often under banners reading "Protect Our Community" and "Safety of Women and Children Before Foreigners." Organizers include not just seasoned activists but also local mothers and professionals, according to BBC analysis. However, the protests have also attracted far-right activists, with some participants seen performing Nazi salutes and displaying violent banners. The anti-racism charity Stand Up To Racism described demonstrators outside a former hotel in Falkirk last weekend as "extremists."
As of August 14, 2025, two hotels in the Perth and Kinross Council area were housing 191 asylum seekers, though their names have not been disclosed to prevent targeting. Across the UK, government figures released on August 21 showed that 32,059 asylum seekers were being housed in hotels—an 8% increase since Labour came to power, but still lower than the peak in 2023. The Home Office contracts Mears Group to manage these accommodations, covering all costs for rooms, meals, and allowances.
The UK remains legally bound to provide homes for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while their claims are processed. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has stated the government is committed to closing all asylum hotels, but emphasized it must happen in "a properly managed way." Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight government efforts, posting, "We are tackling illegal migration. Since July last year, 5,300 foreign national offenders have been returned. This is our Plan for Change in action."
With more protests planned in the coming days and local authorities across England considering legal challenges to the use of hotels for asylum seekers, the debate over migration and community safety shows no signs of abating. For now, the streets remain a battleground for competing visions of Britain’s future—one defined by exclusion, the other by solidarity.
