Anti- and Pro-Immigrant Protests Grip the United Kingdom 

Protests and counterprotests broke out across the United Kingdom over the weekend as demonstrators demanded an end to housing asylum seekers in hotels, while others rallied to the migrants’ support, Al Jazeera noted. 

In response, the Labour government has vowed to reform the asylum system while appealing a court ruling that blocked the use of one such hotel. 

Demonstrations under the “Abolish Asylum System” banner took place on Saturday in various UK cities and towns, including Bristol, Liverpool, and London, as well as in parts of Wales and Northern Ireland.  

Police in riot gear and on horses were deployed to separate anti-migrant activists from anti-racism protesters, and clashes were reported in several areas. In Liverpool, authorities arrested 11 people on charges including assault and public disorder. 

The weekend protests came days after the UK High Court granted a temporary injunction blocking a hotel in Epping, Essex, from accommodating asylum seekers.  

The ruling came after weeks of demonstrations at the venue triggered by the arrest of a hotel resident accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.  

The government said Friday it would appeal the ruling. Minister of State for Security Dan Jarvis stressed that the administration remained committed to closing all asylum hotels by 2029 but would do so “in a managed and ordered way.” 

The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said Sunday that the government would establish a new independent body to speed up asylum appeals and reduce the reliance on hotels, Agence France-Presse wrote.  

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his government have come under intense scrutiny over their immigration policies. Official figures have shown that the arrivals of migrants and asylum seekers have increased to a record high, with more people being housed in hotels compared with last year. 

Government data shows that more than 32,000 asylum seekers have been temporarily housed in these hotels as of March. The figures also show that a record 111,084 people had applied for asylum in the UK by the end of June. 

Meanwhile, more than 50,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats since Starmer took office last year. 

Amid the unrest, the far-right Reform party’s leader Nigel Farage vowed mass deportations and the withdrawal from international refugee treaties should he ultimately take power.