Across the United Kingdom, a wave of protests and counter-protests has erupted over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, underscoring deep divisions in communities and raising questions about government policy, public safety, and the very fabric of British society.
On August 17, 2025, Dudley Town Centre became the latest flashpoint. According to BBC reporting, more than 200 people gathered in Market Place to voice opposition to asylum seekers being accommodated in local hotels. The crowd, many waving Union Jacks and St George’s Cross flags, chanted slogans in support of far-right figure Tommy Robinson and criticized Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. One speaker, standing in front of a “stop the boats” banner, drew cheers when he claimed, “There is only one party in this country that will do any good for us, and that’s Reform UK.” Some demonstrators wore clothing emblazoned with “stop the boats now,” reflecting a slogan that’s gained traction among anti-immigration activists.
At the other end of Market Place, a smaller group of 20 to 30 counter-protesters assembled, carrying placards with messages like “refugees welcome” and “stop the far right.” A tent displaying a Stand Up to Racism banner provided a focal point for those advocating for the rights and dignity of asylum seekers. The scene was tense but largely peaceful, with West Midlands Police reporting no arrests and only minor traffic disruptions. Officers maintained a visible presence, balancing the right to protest with the need to uphold public order. “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,” a police spokesperson told the press.
The protests come amid growing local concern about the number of asylum seekers in Dudley. According to data published by the Home Office in March 2025, there are 676 asylum seekers receiving support from Dudley Council—up from 670 the previous year and 471 in March 2023. Of those, 72 are housed in a single hotel, with the majority living in private accommodation rather than council housing. Dudley Council’s Conservative leader, Patrick Harley, has taken a hardline stance, instructing a legal team to explore challenging the Home Office’s policy of using hotels for asylum seekers. “This is an issue that is very emotive, so I can understand why people want to protest,” Harley said, according to BBC. “What we don’t want to see is people breaking the law, damaging property, making threats and really not bringing a good look to our borough. What we want is a peaceful protest and if people can come and protest in a very peaceful and lawlike manner, then I welcome people making their feelings well-known.”
But Dudley is not alone. Just one day earlier, in Falkirk, Scotland, hundreds gathered outside the Cladhan Hotel to protest against asylum seekers being housed there. As reported by BBC Scotland, the event saw some protesters displaying extremist symbols, including a Nazi salute and a banner reading "Kill 'Em All, Let God Sort 'Em Out." Organizers from the Facebook group Save Our Future and Our Kids Futures disavowed any connection to far-right elements, insisting they were “just local people who want to protect our community.” Connor Graham, a spokesperson for the group, told the BBC, “We’re definitely not extremists, and we’re not racist or far-right. We completely condemn the banner and could not control who turned up to a public event.”
The Falkirk protest was met with a robust counter-demonstration organized by Stand Up To Racism and other groups, who chanted “refugees are welcome here” and “this is what community looks like.” Gary Clark of the Falkirk Trade Union Council described witnessing “neo-Nazi groups openly displaying banners” and recounted being subjected to anti-disabled abuse while making a speech. He told the BBC, “Their faces were pure anger, and hatred was written on their faces.” Police closed roads for several hours and arrested two men—one for indecent exposure and another for obstructing police. The event, Stand Up to Racism said, was a “stark warning: the far-right poses a direct threat to life and safety in Scotland.”
Similar scenes have played out elsewhere. In London, the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf has become a regular site of anti-migrant demonstrations. On August 17, protesters set off pink flares, waved England flags, and carried a banner declaring, “We’re not far right but we’re not far wrong. Don’t gamble with our lives. Stop the boats.” The Metropolitan Police imposed restrictions under Section 14 of the Public Order Act to prevent serious disruption, requiring demonstrators to remain on the pavement opposite the hotel. Six arrests were made for breaching these conditions, possessing Class B drugs, and assaulting an emergency worker. The hotel has seen multiple such protests in recent weeks, reflecting a national trend.
Behind the heated rhetoric and confrontations lie the realities of Britain’s asylum system. Home Office figures show that as of March 2025, Scotland alone housed around 6,000 asylum seekers, with 1,352 living in hotels across 18 local authority areas. Falkirk had 79 asylum seekers in hotels at that time. The use of hotels, according to the Home Office, is intended as a “contingency accommodation” measure—only to be used when other housing cannot be sourced. Yet, the number of councils resorting to this option has nearly doubled in less than a year, a testament to the mounting backlog in processing asylum applications and ongoing housing shortages exacerbated by other schemes, such as accommodating Ukrainian refugees.
Local councils have sometimes found themselves caught in the crossfire. Falkirk Council, for instance, emphasized that its homelessness service has “no involvement or contact with those in the Cladhan Hotel” after false claims emerged online. The council said it would work constructively with community groups and partners, including police, to address issues of community safety.
Amid the anger, fear, and political posturing, voices urging compassion and unity have struggled to be heard. Gary Clark acknowledged that “there were many concerned locals there, I’m not going to hide that fact,” but cautioned against painting all asylum seekers with the same brush. “There’s a lot of people who have been through a lot to get to this country, been through war, terror, and we have to look after them.”
With further protests planned and the debate over asylum policy showing no sign of abating, the UK faces a critical juncture. The challenge will be finding a way to address genuine community concerns while upholding the country’s commitments to human rights and the rule of law—a balancing act that grows more precarious with every demonstration and counter-demonstration on Britain’s streets.
As the summer of 2025 draws on, the tension between protest and protection, between fear and welcome, continues to shape the national conversation—and the lived experience of thousands of asylum seekers and the communities they now call home.
