Anti-migrant protests confronted counter-demonstrations around Britain on Friday night, as campaigners and anti-racism organizations held competing rallies near hotels that are home to asylum seekers.
From Cardiff to Portsmouth, Union flag-waving crowds congregated at various locations, such as Orpington, Leicester, Chichester, and Ashford, where they were confronted by Stand Up To Racism activists displaying banners that said "Refugees Welcome." Police sent extra officers to keep hundreds of protesters apart as "Send them home" and "Refugees are welcome here" chants filled the air.
Officials think 30 hotels may be attacked over the Bank Holiday weekend, with anti-immigration campaigners having been encouraged by a historic court decision earlier this week to close down the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex. The premises have to be closed down in weeks after a High Court judge issued a temporary injunction citing safety reasons after recent protests.
The protests are indicative of a growing cleavage within communities. Some inhabitants showed disaffection at the government's response to migration and asylum accommodation.
“I’m fed up seeing those who come into our country illegally being housed better than our veterans and our OAPs,” said 66-year-old protester Mat Silva from Fareham. “They get free accommodation, gas, electricity, four meals a day, while our veterans are on the street. If they are genuine asylum seekers, fair enough but this is about illegal entry.”
Others complained about housing pressures, saying family homes were being turned into multiple-occupancy houses for migrants without discussion.
Conversely, counter-protesters dismissed charges of being "soft" on crime, but rather positioned their presence as in defense of human rights. Portsmouth resident Rita claimed to feel "ashamed" to witness Christianity invoked in the defense of hostility. "I am furious that my religion is being employed in the name of fascism," she asserted.
Mary, another protester, contributed: "We all came from somewhere. These individuals have escaped intimidation only to experience it again here it's simply wrong."
Portsmouth has emerged as a hotspot in the asylum controversy. City Council officials previously informed the Home Office that it could not accommodate more asylum seekers, yet statistics indicate an acute increase in private rentals being utilized to accommodate migrants.
In 2019, 10 such properties were identified, rising to 58 by April 2024, before settling at 55 last week. Officials say they were not notified in advance about many of these conversions.
The Essex Bell Hotel case has provided still more fuel for anger in communities. The hotel was at the center of a series of protests following the charging though denying of an asylum seeker who tried to kiss a 14-year-old girl. The decision is already being cited as a precedent by councils and campaigners calling for similar hotel closures.
The Home Office said on Friday that it would appeal the High Court ruling, contending that shutting down hotels piecemeal threatens to destroy attempts to control asylum accommodation across the country. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized that ministers are still determined to close hotels "as quickly as possible" but insisted closures need to be "properly managed" so as not to displace issues to other places.
Somani Hotels, which operates the Bell Hotel, is also set to appeal. In the meantime, the Epping Forest District Council had greeted the initial decision, with finance officer Holly Whitbread describing the Home Office's bid to intervene as "deeply disappointing.
The decision has already become a political hot potato. Labour's management of the crisis was attacked by Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who said, "Rather than attempting to detain illegal immigrants in costly hotels, the Conservatives would deport all illegal arrivals and make sure Epping and other towns are never placed in this situation again."
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage capitalized on the disturbances, describing the Bell Hotel case as "a huge victory" for local communities. In an online video, he rhetorically queried, "Whose side is this Government on? The people's side, or the side of undocumented young males coming into Britain?"
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With hostile groups confronting each other outside hotels and councils making plans for more legal action, Britain's crisis over housing asylum seekers is escalating into a national confrontation.
While opponents of migrants are hailing the Epping decision as a precedent, anti-racism organizations warn that it opens a "dangerous path" that will encourage further mobilization of the far-right. With police preparing for further clashes over the weekend, the conflict between security, housing tensions, and humanitarian principles shows no sign of letting up.
