Asylum Hotels a Focal Point in Britain’s Intensifying Immigration Debate

The UK government vows to end hotel housing for illegal immigrants by 2029, while protests, legal challenges and soaring costs remain a challenge.
Asylum Hotels a Focal Point in Britain’s Intensifying Immigration Debate
A protester outside Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, East London, on Aug. 8, 2025. Evgenia Filimianova/The Epoch Times
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Asylum hotels, intended as an initial step for housing asylum seekers, have become a focal point in Britain’s intensifying immigration debate, reflecting growing community tensions and concerns over the government’s handling of illegal migration.

In a small English town of Epping, just northeast of London, repeated demonstrations outside the Bell Hotel this summer have drawn protesters against housing asylum seekers in hotels and counter-protesters carrying “Refugees Welcome” signs.

Evgenia Filimianova
Evgenia Filimianova
Author
Evgenia Filimianova is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of international stories, with a particular interest in foreign policy, economy, and UK politics.