Continue protests against migrants in the UK / Labor Government presented the reform plan for the asylum system
Protest in Eprping, England, Sunday, August 24, 2025. Credit: Will Colebourne / Avalon / Profimedia
The demonstrations against migrants continued in the UK and Sunday, in the area of hotels who host asylum applicants, one day after the police were forced to intervene to separate them on demonstrators and counterprostarians in several cities, against the background of tensions on immigration policies, Reuters reports.
With the immigration described by the polls as the main concern of the public, Keir Starmer's labouristic government was pressed to respect its commitment to stop the use of hotels to host asylum applicants. The use of hotels for this purpose costs billions of pounds a year.
Wave of protests
In recent weeks, in the UK there have been constantly protests in the area of hotels who host asylum seekers, partially fed by the concerns about the public safety that the case of the migrant stayed in an east of London has been accused of sexual assault.
On Sunday, demonstrations took place in several areas of the country, including Epping, east of London, Bristol and Birmingham.
A court decision on Tuesday ordered the removal of asylum seekers from an EPPing hotel, which became an epicenter for anti-immigration protests. The government intends to appeal against the decision.
On Sunday, the protesters gathered there again, waving the British flag and holding banners that wrote “EPPING NO” and “stop the boats”.
On Saturday, anti-immigration protesters gathered at small rallies in cities in England, Scotland and Wales.
The official data on Thursday showed that asylum requests have reached a record level, more migrants are accommodated in hotels than last year.
Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Popular Party, who occupied the first place as a voting intention in recent polls, announced plans for mass deportation of migrants who came from continental Europe with small boats, if its formation will form the next government.
In an interview with the Saturday's edition of The Times, Farage said he wants to withdraw the Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights and to sign agreements with Afghanistan, Eritrea and other countries of origin, to repatriate illegal migrants.
Reform plans for the asylum system
On Sunday, the Labor government said it would reform the call process in the asylum system, so as to accelerate decisions, reduce the number of outstanding cases and gradually eliminate the use of hotels in hosting asylum applicants.
According to the plans, an independent body will be created to manage the appeals in the case of asylum requests, as well as to reduce the number of 106,000 outstanding cases – including 51,000 calls with average waiting times exceeding one year.
The British Minister of Internal Affairs, Yvette Cooper, said that changes are part of the efforts to “restore control and order” in a system that he claims was in full chaos “when labiors came to power last year.
“We cannot continue with these completely unacceptable delays,” concluded Cooper.
