Asylum hotel protests latest: Dozens of demonstrations and counter-protests to take place as tensions mount
Wave of asylum hotel demonstrations and counter-protests planned as tensions mount
- A wave of protests is anticipated outside hotels housing asylum seekers across the UK, with counter-demonstrations also planned by Stand Up To Racism.
- The number of asylum seekers accommodated in hotels has increased to over 32,000, marking an 8% rise during Labour's first year in office, despite a 12% reduction in overall government asylum spending.
- Councils across the country are investigating legal challenges against asylum hotels, following Epping Forest District Council's successful temporary injunction to block housing asylum seekers at a local hotel.
- Conservative politicians have expressed support for the protests, while Labour has committed to ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers by the end of the current parliament in 2029.
- Campaigners, including Rape Crisis and Refuge, have warned that discussions about violence against women and girls are being co-opted by an anti-migrant agenda, which they argue fuels division and harms survivors.