Asylum hotels across the UK are set to face a coordinated wave of protests this weekend according to The Times, with organisers planning dozens of demonstrations after a High Court ruling forced the removal of migrants from a site in Essex.
Plans seen by campaigners indicate at least eight protests are scheduled for Friday in Cardiff, Chichester, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Leeds, Orpington, Cheshunt and Altrincham.
A further 14 are expected on Saturday in Hawley, Cannock, Nottingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Tamworth, Wakefield, Liverpool, Oldham, Exeter, Oxford, Perth and Aberdeen, with two more in Manchester and Dudley on Sunday. Additional actions are being lined up next week at hotels in Falkirk, Gloucester and Stockport.
The mobilisation follows a High Court injunction granted to Epping Forest District Council, which halted migrant accommodation at The Bell Hotel after the property was found to be operating without the necessary planning consent for a change of use. The council also cited public safety concerns and the need to remove “the catalyst for violent protests in public places”. The case came after a hotel resident was charged with the sexual assault of a schoolgirl; while many demonstrators remained peaceful, some violence occurred and 16 protesters were charged.
Organised say the protests will be peaceful, however, anti-racism groups are preparing counter-protests and warn of potential disruption comparable to last summer’s riots.
Record claims under Labour
The protests come amid intensifying criticism of the government’s handling of asylum. New figures show 111,000 people claimed asylum in the UK during Keir Starmer’s first year in office, a record high and nearly double the level in 2021. Hotel use has risen 8% in the same period, from 29,585 to 32,059 people, despite Labour’s promises to reduce reliance on hotels.
Ministers say they now intend to accelerate moves to relocate asylum seekers from hotels into disused tower blocks and former student accommodation closer to public services and transport.
Councils weigh legal action
The Epping injunction has prompted a flurry of interest from local authorities. Councils across the country have confirmed they are reviewing the judgment’s implications, with some considering legal routes of their own.
Reform figures urge protests; misinformation flagged
Conservative, Reform and Advance UK figures including Robert Jenrick, Ben Habib, Richard Tice and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage encouraged residents to protest peacefully and press councils to pursue court action to “get the illegal immigrants out”. Organisers of local protests have circulated lists online naming hundreds of hotels. It is understood the government is currently using 210 hotels.
On the ground
Protest groups say they are preparing for “big” turnouts this weekend, though actual attendance remains unclear. Organisers of the “Stand Up Leeds — No To Illegal Migrants” page said they had assembled large quantities of placards and flags for Friday’s event and urged supporters to follow rules of “no masks, no alcohol, no violence”. The Great British National Protest network has been promoting actions with the slogan “For our children, for our future”.
Counter-mobilisations are being coordinated by Stand Up to Racism, whose organiser Lewis Nielsen warned of “the biggest number of far-right demonstrations since the riots last summer”, claiming known fascist activists are involved.
Greater Manchester Police said officers will attend planned events to facilitate peaceful protest, with additional units on standby “in case of any criminality”.
Political stakes for Labour
Labour enters the weekend on the back foot. After pledging to end hotel use, the government has instead overseen record-high claims and a rise in hotel numbers, opening itself to accusations of drift and poor grip on the system. Even Labour-controlled councils are now exploring legal avenues to shut down hotel accommodation locally, a conspicuous vote of no confidence in the centre’s approach. With protests spreading and misinformation about hotel sites proliferating online, ministers face the unenviable task of restoring order to an asylum system that, one year in, looks more expensive, more contentious and less controlled than Labour promised.
