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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Helen Corbett

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.

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