Widespread protests erupted across Britain last summer targeting hotels used to house asylum seekers, with demonstrations often turning tense or violent.

The unrest intensified in July 2025 after an asylum seeker at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, was charged with sexual assault on a teenage girl, sparking repeated large gatherings outside the site that drew both local residents and far-right activists.

Protests quickly spread to dozens of other locations, including Horley, Newcastle, Bristol, and Falkirk, with demonstrators demanding an end to the use of hotels for migrants and chanting slogans such as “Stop the Boats” and “Abolish Asylum System.”

Clashes between anti-immigration protesters and counter-demonstrators led to police interventions, injuries to officers, and arrests, as concerns over public safety and local resources fuelled anger amid record asylum applications.

The summer wave highlighted deep national divisions, with legal battles over hotel closures and government appeals dominating headlines as around 32,000 asylum seekers were accommodated in more than 200 hotels nationwide.