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 the 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.