EPPING, ENGLAND — Protests over the housing of asylum seekers have intensified across England, coinciding with the launch of a new UK-France agreement designed to return migrants who cross the English Channel in small boats.
In Epping, a market town of 11,000 northeast of London, tensions have been building for weeks. The unrest began after the arrest of a 38-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker accused of attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. He has been charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and harassment without violence. The allegations triggered immediate backlash, with far-right activists gathering outside the Bell Hotel, where the suspect was housed, to demand the closure of migrant accommodations in the town.
The protests have since spread to other towns across England, targeting hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers. According to police, at least 18 people have been arrested and eight officers injured in confrontations between anti-immigration demonstrators and anti-racist counterprotesters.
Fearing a repeat of the violent scenes of the summer of 2024, when riots erupted after a mass stabbing in Southport left three children dead, the Labour government placed 3,000 riot police on standby last weekend.
Local Frustrations Over Housing Policy
Critics say Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s asylum housing policy, which places new arrivals in hotels for extended periods, is both costly and unsafe. The current program costs an estimated £8.5 million (nearly €10 million) per day.
“Enough is enough,” said Holly Whitbread, a Conservative regional councillor for Epping. “We don’t know who these people are, and many residents don’t feel safe. It’s frankly irresponsible for the government to ignore our concerns.”
Several local councils are calling for the closure of migrant housing facilities, prompting the Home Office to begin relocating some asylum seekers to other accommodations.
UK-France Returns Agreement
The unrest comes as the UK rolls out a “one in, one out” migrant returns deal with France, which was ratified last week. Under the pilot scheme, undocumented migrants arriving in the UK will be returned to France. At the same time, Britain will accept the same number of vetted asylum seekers with family connections in the UK.
Prime Minister Starmer has described the plan as a tool to “smash the gangs” behind dangerous Channel crossings. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau echoed this sentiment, saying the agreement’s “clear objective” is to dismantle the networks of people smugglers operating between the two countries.
While officials say the policy aims to bring order to Britain’s asylum system, the recent wave of protests highlights the deep divisions over immigration in communities across the country.
