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| Protests expected at asylum hotels across UK as tensions mount | Protests expected at asylum hotels across UK as tensions mount |
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| Anti-migrant demonstrations expected on Friday and Saturday, while councils investigate legal challenges against hotels | Anti-migrant demonstrations expected on Friday and Saturday, while councils investigate legal challenges against hotels |
| Dozens of protests outside hotels used as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers are expected over the weekend across Britain amid mounting tensions over the issue. | Dozens of protests outside hotels used as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers are expected over the weekend across Britain amid mounting tensions over the issue. |
| Figures released on Thursday showed there were more than 32,000 asylum seekers in hotels, marking a rise of 8% during Labour’s first year in office. | Figures released on Thursday showed there were more than 32,000 asylum seekers in hotels, marking a rise of 8% during Labour’s first year in office. |
| Anti-migrant protests and counter-demonstrations held by Stand Up to Racism are expected on Friday and over the weekend outside hotels believed to be used to house asylum seekers, including in Bournemouth, near Cardiff airport, Leeds, Perth and Aberdeen with more expected on Saturday. | Anti-migrant protests and counter-demonstrations held by Stand Up to Racism are expected on Friday and over the weekend outside hotels believed to be used to house asylum seekers, including in Bournemouth, near Cardiff airport, Leeds, Perth and Aberdeen with more expected on Saturday. |
| Two weekends ago, 3,000 riot police officers were deployed and put on standby when a series of protests were planned across England and Wales, but the National Police Chiefs’ Council said 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.” | Two weekends ago, 3,000 riot police officers were deployed and put on standby when a series of protests were planned across England and Wales, but the National Police Chiefs’ Council said 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 controlled by Labour, the Conservatives and Reform UK are investigating whether they could pursue legal challenges against asylum hotels. | Meanwhile, councils across the country controlled by Labour, the Conservatives and Reform UK are investigating whether they could pursue legal challenges against asylum hotels. |
| This follows a judge granting Epping Forest council a temporary injunction on Tuesday that blocked asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell hotel in Essex. | This follows a judge granting Epping Forest council a temporary injunction on Tuesday that blocked asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell hotel in Essex. |
| On Friday, Yvette Cooper said ministers were working to close hotels housing asylum seekers “as swiftly as possible” as part of an “orderly” programme that avoided creating problems for other areas. | On Friday, Yvette Cooper said ministers were working to close hotels housing asylum seekers “as swiftly as possible” as part of an “orderly” programme that avoided creating problems for other areas. |
| The home secretary said: “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.” | The home secretary said: “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.” |
| Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said on Thursday that people had “every right” to protest over asylum hotels in their areas. While the number of asylum seekers rose in Labour’s first year, the new data shows they are still far below the 2023 peak, when the Conservatives were in government. | Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said on Thursday that people had “every right” to protest over asylum hotels in their areas. While the number of asylum seekers rose in Labour’s first year, the new data shows they are still far below the 2023 peak, when the Conservatives were in government. |
| In a letter dated 18 August seen by the Guardian to the home secretary, the Broxbourne Conservative MP Lewis Cocking said 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”. | In a letter dated 18 August seen by the Guardian to the home secretary, the Broxbourne Conservative MP Lewis Cocking said 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 asked Cooper to guarantee that if the Bell hotel in Epping were to close, asylum seekers from there would not be sent to the Delta Marriott hotel in his constituency, which currently accommodates asylum seeker families. Broxbourne council is considering a similar legal challenge to the one launched by Epping Forest council to try to get the hotel shut down. | |
| Labour has pledged to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers by the end of this parliament in 2029. | Labour has pledged to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers by the end of this parliament in 2029. |
| Cooper said Labour had taken “crucial steps” in the past year towards this by cutting the asylum backlog and money spent on the asylum system, increasing returns of asylum seekers whose applications had failed, and overhauling appeals. | Cooper said Labour had taken “crucial steps” in the past year towards this by cutting the asylum backlog and money spent on the asylum system, increasing returns of asylum seekers whose applications had failed, and overhauling appeals. |
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| While the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels has risen, government spending on asylum in the UK is down 12%, data published on Thursday showed. The number of people waiting on an initial decision on an asylum application in the UK at the end of June dropped below 100,000 for the first time in four years. | While the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels has risen, government spending on asylum in the UK is down 12%, data published on Thursday showed. The number of people waiting on an initial decision on an asylum application in the UK at the end of June dropped below 100,000 for the first time in four years. |
| Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation, known as contingency accommodation, if they are awaiting assessment of their claim or have had a claim approved and there is not enough longer-term accommodation available. | Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation, known as contingency accommodation, if they are awaiting assessment of their claim or have had a claim approved and there is not enough longer-term accommodation available. |
| When there is not enough housing, the Home Office – which has a legal obligation to provide accommodation to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute – can move people to alternatives such as hotels and large sites such as former military bases. | When there is not enough housing, the Home Office – which has a legal obligation to provide accommodation to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute – can move people to alternatives such as hotels and large sites such as former military bases. |
| Refugee support organisations have been forced to install safe rooms in their premises, relocate to less visible sites and, in some cases, close their offices in response to the threat of far-right violence. | Refugee support organisations have been forced to install safe rooms in their premises, relocate to less visible sites and, in some cases, close their offices in response to the threat of far-right violence. |
| Half of the NGOs and charities supporting people seeking refuge have faced threats, a “hostile environment” of protest, and safety concerns since the riots of 2024, according to research documents seen by the Guardian. | Half of the NGOs and charities supporting people seeking refuge have faced threats, a “hostile environment” of protest, and safety concerns since the riots of 2024, according to research documents seen by the Guardian. |