Latest news with #SuellaBraverman
The National
a day ago
- Politics
- The National
UK on edge as protests build outside all-male migrant hotels
The front of the Britannia Hotel in London these days has more police hovering around at the front entrance than guests coming and going. Metal gates block the entrance after it emerged the hotel has been earmarked to house asylum seekers, though none have as yet moved in. Extra security was put in place after protesters began gathering outside the hotel in Canary Wharf, east London, which in turn has attracted counter-demonstrations by anti-racism groups. More than 25,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year, with 898 arriving on Wednesday. This influx is causing a headache for a government that has promised to end the use of asylum hotels but is instead turning to more facilities. Protests first hit the headlines from a hotel in Epping, Essex, after an asylum seeker who had been staying there was charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. Hadush Kebatu, 41, from Ethiopia, has denied the offences and is in custody. The focus of the Epping protesters has been the all-male make up of the asylum seekers living in the hotel. Males represent two thirds of those claiming asylum in the UK, according to official data. On Wednesday night former home secretary Suella Braverman backed a protest in the Hampshire town of Waterlooville, where a set of flats was reportedly being lined up for occupation by asylum seekers. Scenes of a mob setting fire to a hotel in Rotherham and attempting to break in to attack migrants is one of the enduring images of last summer's riots in Britain. One year on, the fear remains that demonstrators could light a nationwide tinderbox, sparking more violence. So far the protests at the Britannia Hotel have been peaceful and demonstrators The National spoke to said they wanted to make their voices heard about the prospect of male asylum seekers moving there. Lee Boys, 43, from nearby Stepney, said the decision to move asylum seekers during the summer holidays was provocative. 'It's worrying," he said. "I just want my kids to be safe and it's the summer holidays as well, so it's the worst possible time they could have done this. It's a bit antagonising.' Mr Boys, a construction worker, said he has been in touch with friends from Epping who have been protesting there and have formed a WhatsApp group to share information about migrants being moved from there to the Britannia. He contrasted the make-up of the migrants with Ukrainian asylum seekers, about 210,000 of whom have settled in the UK. 'When Ukraine happened, there were families coming but these are not families,' he said. 'And they're not just from one country. They're from different countries and we can't control it. 'We don't know who they are. We had terrorism a few years back but they're coming by boat, with no record of who they are.' He also hinted that the issue of migrants being accommodated in hotels has become a lightning rod for wider discontent over squeezed living standards in Britain. 'I've worked all my life. I've never had nothing from our government but they walk in and the first day they get a hotel room but I'm spending £1,500 [$1,985] a month for me and my family,' he said. Another protester, Heidi Stafford, 42, who is from the Canning Town area, also near the hotel, was outside with her two friends. She is an enthusiastic user of TikTok, which serves as a source of news and platform for posting videos for protesters. Ms Stafford told The National: 'Where I live is multicultural, which is not a problem. I've never been out to protest about legal migration but this is different. They want to put large numbers of men here and we're concerned about our kids.' As well as in Epping, at the weekend there were protests against asylum hotels in Norwich, Diss and Manchester, following those in Portsmouth, Leeds and Southampton last week. All have been met with counter-demonstrations, with both sides kept apart by a large police presence. Meanwhile, nervous communities are now looking for a way out, as the potential for serious violence rises. Epping Forest District Council unanimously voted in favour of the motion calling on the government "to immediately and permanently close" the hotel "for the purposes of asylum processing". The hotel in Diss, which has been the target of protesters, has insisted it accommodates families and said it has told the Home Office it will refuse to take single men. The Park Hotel even went as far as saying it would close down rather than accede any such demand. "There are currently vulnerable families and children staying at the hotel, many of whom are feeling frightened and uncertain about the recent events and their futures,' said the hotel. The numbers in hotels has been steadily increasing since 2020, and reached a peak of more than 50,000 in 2023, before falling to 32,345 by March this year. That figure had risen from 29,585 at the end of June 2024, just before Labour came into office. According to Fact Check, there were 71,339 asylum seekers living in other types of non-hotel accommodation at the end of March 2025, compared with 67,057 at the end of June 2024. The Home Office told Fact Check there were 210 asylum hotels currently in use and says it has reduced the figure by more than 70 during its first year in power. The government wants to end the use of hotels by 2029 and has been trying to move asylum seekers into cheaper accommodation. In a bid to achieve that, the Home Office has introduced a Failure to Travel policy aimed at compelling the hundreds of asylum seekers refusing to leave hotels to be transferred to other forms of accommodation every week. Those who refuse to move without a valid reason will now risk losing their housing and support, the Home Office said. Angela Eagle, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, said: "We are working to close hotels, restore order, and put fairness and value for money at the heart of our asylum system. "This government is making those necessary decisions to protect the taxpayer and uphold the integrity of our borders.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Protesters praised for peaceful demonstration against asylum-seeker housing plan
Former home secretary Suella Braverman has praised protesters for peacefully demonstrating against plans to house asylum seekers in flats above a town centre shop. More than 1,000 people are estimated to have attended the protest in Waterlooville, Hampshire, on Wednesday evening against the proposal to house 35 people at the property in London Road. Posting on X, Ms Braverman, who is the Conservative MP for Fareham and Waterlooville, said: 'Very proud of the people of Waterlooville tonight. To the thousands of local people who peacefully protested, you speak for millions. 'Zero offences, arrests and no disorder. You're not far-right. You just love our country and are willing to stand up for it. Thank you. 'To the Home Office and Havant Borough Council, we say: no. Thank you to the police for keeping everyone safe.' The demonstration came after the MP organised a petition to Havant Borough Council against the plans. The local authority said it had not been initially consulted on the proposals after communication difficulties with Clearsprings, a procurement company employed by the Home Office for the project. Leader of Havant Borough Council, Labour councillor Phil Munday stated: 'Having received the petition from Suella Braverman, I am yet again concerned with her repeated use of inaccurate language in her supporting letter which only seeks to exacerbate fear in the hearts and minds of our concerned residents. 'Repeated reference to illegal immigrants and unwanted men flames fears when we know as a matter of fact all users of the proposed accommodation are supported asylum seekers. 'Furthermore, the proposed use – as I discussed in depth with the Home Office personally – is that the accommodation would be used by a mix of families and individuals. 'This is a marked difference to the quite frankly offensive remarks that the proposed use of the site is to solely house dangerous single men of detriment to the borough.' In a letter to Yvette Cooper, the Labour Secretary of State, Ms Braverman described the proposal as 'insulting to local people'. She wrote: 'This plan will dump further pressure on policing, healthcare and public infrastructure, all while ignoring the legitimate concerns of residents who have been left voiceless. 'Our town has undergone a transformation and become a welcoming place to work, invest, shop, dine and play. 'Decisions such as yours will once again make our town centres no-go zones for the patriotic, common-sense majority.' The MP also stated on her website: 'This site, in the centre of our town, is utterly inappropriate for migrant accommodation. It must be stopped.' The consultation ends on Friday August 1, after which the Home Office will decide whether to approve the plans. A Home Office spokeswoman previously said it was in 'active dialogue' with the local authority and added: 'We are working to fairly disperse asylum seekers across the country, consulting closely with local authorities and listening to local concerns.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Protesters praised for peaceful demonstration against asylum-seeker housing plan
Former home secretary Suella Braverman has praised protesters for peacefully demonstrating against plans to house asylum seekers in flats above a town centre shop. More than 1,000 people are estimated to have attended the protest in Waterlooville, Hampshire, on Wednesday evening against the proposal to house 35 people at the property in London Road. Posting on X, Ms Braverman, who is the Conservative MP for Fareham and Waterlooville, said: 'Very proud of the people of Waterlooville tonight. To the thousands of local people who peacefully protested, you speak for millions. 'Zero offences, arrests and no disorder. You're not far-right. You just love our country and are willing to stand up for it. Thank you. 'To the Home Office and Havant Borough Council, we say: no. Thank you to the police for keeping everyone safe.' The demonstration came after the MP organised a petition to Havant Borough Council against the plans. The local authority said it had not been initially consulted on the proposals after communication difficulties with Clearsprings, a procurement company employed by the Home Office for the project. Leader of Havant Borough Council, Labour councillor Phil Munday stated: 'Having received the petition from Suella Braverman, I am yet again concerned with her repeated use of inaccurate language in her supporting letter which only seeks to exacerbate fear in the hearts and minds of our concerned residents. 'Repeated reference to illegal immigrants and unwanted men flames fears when we know as a matter of fact all users of the proposed accommodation are supported asylum seekers. 'Furthermore, the proposed use – as I discussed in depth with the Home Office personally – is that the accommodation would be used by a mix of families and individuals. 'This is a marked difference to the quite frankly offensive remarks that the proposed use of the site is to solely house dangerous single men of detriment to the borough.' In a letter to Yvette Cooper, the Labour Secretary of State, Ms Braverman described the proposal as 'insulting to local people'. She wrote: 'This plan will dump further pressure on policing, healthcare and public infrastructure, all while ignoring the legitimate concerns of residents who have been left voiceless. 'Our town has undergone a transformation and become a welcoming place to work, invest, shop, dine and play. 'Decisions such as yours will once again make our town centres no-go zones for the patriotic, common-sense majority.' The MP also stated on her website: 'This site, in the centre of our town, is utterly inappropriate for migrant accommodation. It must be stopped.' The consultation ends on Friday August 1, after which the Home Office will decide whether to approve the plans. A Home Office spokeswoman previously said it was in 'active dialogue' with the local authority and added: 'We are working to fairly disperse asylum seekers across the country, consulting closely with local authorities and listening to local concerns.'
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Fresh migrant hotel protest erupts after ‘secret plot to move asylum seekers into £250k flats' in UK town
ANOTHER migrant hotel protest has erupted after an alleged "secret plot" to move asylum seekers into £250k flats emerged. Furious locals took to the streets after plans to relocate 35 asylum seekers to a brand new apartment development in Waterlooville, Hampshire, were revealed. The council is in discussion with the the Home Office over plans to house asylum seekers in flats. But locals have not taken to kindly to the reported plans and branded it a "disgrace". Thousands of residents gathered outside the 19 flat development in Waterlooville this evening to protest the move. Suella Braverman MP is also opposing the move. Braverman previously labelled Home Office proposals to house 35 people in Waterlooville as "utterly inappropriate" and set up a petition which attracted more than 9,000 signatures. A Home Office consultation ends on Friday after which it will decide whether to approve the proposed accommodation. In a letter to current Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Braverman wrote such facilities made town centres "no-go zones for the patriotic, common-sense majority". In a statement on Tuesday, the council confirmed it had received her petition and said it would "do its utmost to reflect the view of residents" when submitting its response to the Home Office. It comes after cops admitted escorting pro-migrant protesters to an asylum hotel before violence erupted. Essex Police had initially denied it brought demonstrators from Stand Up to Racism to the Bell Hotel in Epping before clashes with anti-migrant protesters on July 17. The force changed its tune after being shown footage of the activists apparently being led by officers from a station to outside the hotel while holding placards. Six people have been charged with offences related to the disorder. However, while accepting it provided a "foot cordon", the force has denied claims it specifically "bussed" the counter-protesters to the hotel. 1
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Waterlooville asylum housing for 'couples and parents'
Planned accommodation for asylum seekers in a town centre would be suited for couples or parents with children, a council has Conservative home secretary Suella Braverman previously labelled Home Office proposals to house 35 people in Waterlooville as "utterly inappropriate" and set up a petition which attracted more than 9,000 Borough Council's leader, Labour's Phil Munday, accused the MP for Fareham and Waterlooville of seeking to "exacerbate fear".A Home Office consultation ends on Friday after which it will decide whether to approve the proposed accommodation. In a letter to current Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Braverman wrote such facilities made town centres "no-go zones for the patriotic, common-sense majority".In a statement on Tuesday, the council confirmed it had received her petition and said it would "do its utmost to reflect the view of residents" when submitting its response to the Home said, following discussions with the Home Office, it had been told the accommodation was "best suited for the use of couples, or single parents with young children".It said there was one single flat which would most likely be utilised for a single adult said: "I am yet again concerned with [Braverman's] repeated use of inaccurate language in her supporting letter which only seeks to exacerbate fear in the hearts and minds of our concerned residents."Repeated reference to illegal immigrants and unwanted men flames fears when we know as a matter of fact all users of the proposed accommodation are supported asylum seekers."In a second letter to the Home Secretary last week, Braverman said the proposal would "drastically undermine the fabric and community" of the town."Even if the occupants are predominantly women and children, this will place a significant burden on local resources. "Havant Borough Council has a long waiting list, with over 1,000 local people waiting for social housing. Isn't it time we put the British people first?"Havant Borough Council said it had not initially been consulted on the plans after Clearsprings, a procurement company employed by the Home Office for the project, had used an "incorrect email address" in a bid to contact the council was subsequently granted a 10-day consultation period on the was sacked as home secretary in November 2023 after she defied then prime minister Rishi Sunak over an article accusing the Metropolitan Police of bias in the policing of protests. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
