The British government on Sunday pledged to reform the country’s asylum system after a weekend of protests outside hotels housing migrants underscored growing tensions over immigration and housing policy.
Officials said a new independent body will be created to review asylum appeals more quickly, a move they hope will reduce the heavy reliance on temporary hotel accommodations that have become flashpoints for public anger. More than 32,000 asylum seekers were living in hotels at the end of March, according to official figures, a practice the government admits is costly and unsustainable.
The protests erupted after a man staying in a hotel in Epping, southeast England, was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. That case triggered demonstrations outside the hotel and quickly spread to other towns and cities. Over the weekend, small groups gathered outside hotels in Birmingham, London, and Dudley, while larger protests under the banner “Abolish Asylum System” took place in Bristol, Exeter, Liverpool, Wakefield, Newcastle, Aberdeen, and Perth.
Police clashed with protesters in Bristol as they worked to keep rival groups apart. In London, about 20 demonstrators gathered outside the Britannia Hotel in the city center, where a heavy police presence prevented tensions from escalating.
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The controversy has intensified since a court ruling last week blocked the Labour government from housing asylum seekers at the Epping hotel, prompting officials to announce an appeal. The ruling fueled anger among anti-immigration groups, who see the hotels as symbols of a system they say is broken.
The policy of housing asylum seekers in hotels was introduced by the previous Conservative government, which was swept out of power in last year’s elections. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour administration has promised to reduce the backlog of asylum cases, arguing that delays in initial claims and lengthy court appeals are the main drivers of the current accommodation crisis.
By moving appeals into the hands of a faster, independent tribunal, ministers hope to ease public frustration while addressing the humanitarian needs of asylum seekers. Whether that will defuse the protests, or only harden opposition, remains an open question.
