Protective barriers and heavy police presence have transformed the entrance to a four-star Canary Wharf hotel following violent protests over government plans to house asylum seekers at the £425-a-night venue.
Tall metal fencing now surrounds The Britannia International Hotel on Marsh Wall, with security guards manning the perimeter and CCTV cameras installed overnight, after anti-migrant demonstrators clashed with counter-protesters on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Home Office has secured 400 rooms at the hotel for £81 per night, potentially costing taxpayers up to £226,800 weekly if fully occupied, as the government prepares for an anticipated surge in Channel crossings this summer.
Violent Clashes Spark Security Response
Metropolitan Police officers formed protective cordons around the hotel as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the building on Tuesday evening, with tensions escalating when counter-demonstrators from Stand Up To Racism arrived at the scene.
Video footage showed dozens of officers guarding the hotel entrance whilst protesters chanted anti-government slogans, with some heard shouting that the Prime Minister was a “w****r.” Eggs were reportedly thrown during the confrontations.
A police helicopter circled overhead as more than a dozen police vans were deployed to the area, with The Spectator reporting that ten demonstrators have been arrested.
This place is a tinderbox, mark my words,” one protester wearing a St George’s flag told the Express. “One rape, one assault or anything and this place will go up in flames.”
Council Confirms Government Decision
Tower Hamlets Council confirmed the government’s decision to convert the hotel for asylum seeker accommodation, stating they are “working with the Home Office and partners to make sure that all necessary safety and safeguarding arrangements are in place.
The council spokesperson added: “It is important that the Government ensures that there is a full package of support for those staying at the hotel.”
Hotel guests with existing reservations discovered their bookings had been cancelled upon arrival, with furious reviews flooding TripAdvisor describing the hotel’s conduct as “pitiful” and “unprofessional.
Political Backlash Intensifies
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp condemned the decision, telling The Sun: “It is outrageous that the Government is splurging taxpayers’ hard-earned money on luxury hotels for illegal immigrants when most people in this country would struggle to afford a hotel in central London.
“This is one of the most luxurious hotels people can only dream of staying in, right in the heart of London’s financial centre,” Philp added. No wonder illegal immigrants are flooding across the channel in record numbers when this weak Labour government welcomes them with hotel accommodation funded by hard-working taxpayers.
Susan Hall, Conservative leader in London’s City Hall, warned of wider societal impacts: “Women and children, I can tell you, don’t feel safe around these hotels in London. It shows things are getting worse and worse for hard-working Brits.”
False Rumours Spark Protests
The protests were initially triggered by false social media claims that asylum seekers were being transferred from the Bell Hotel in Epping, where demonstrations have occurred over the past week following the arrest of a 38-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker on sexual assault charges.
Asylum seekers are not being removed from The Bell Hotel in Epping,” a Home Office spokesperson clarified, contradicting the rumours that had spread rapidly online.
Despite the clarification, GB News confirmed the Britannia International has been taken over by the Home Office as an “overflow hotel,” though no asylum seekers have yet been moved to the premises.
Record Channel Crossings Drive Crisis
The hotel conversion comes as Channel crossings reach unprecedented levels, with 23,534 migrants arriving on small boats so far this year – a 48 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Government sources indicate the average cost per night for hotel accommodation has fallen to £118.87 in March 2025, down from £162.16 in March 2023, though the overall asylum accommodation system cost £4.7 billion last year.
The Britannia Hotels chain, repeatedly voted Britain’s worst by consumer watchdog Which?, has become a major provider of asylum accommodation, with reports suggesting at least 17 of its hotels have been block-booked by the government.
Business Impact Concerns
Reform UK Assembly member Alex Wilson criticised the high costs, arguing: “Rooms there typically cost hundreds of pounds per night. Such expenditures are unacceptable at a time when 1.3 million people in the UK are on housing waiting lists.”
The decision has raised concerns among Canary Wharf business leaders, with some worried about associations with an area housing international banks and media firms. The district has already faced challenges, with almost £200 million wiped off office property values due to remote working trends.
Local residents expressed anger about lack of consultation, with one protester saying: “Why are they all men? Why are they all fighting-age men that have left their families in supposedly unsafe countries?”
Broader Immigration Context
The controversy follows similar unrest in Epping, where protests erupted after asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was charged with sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. Kebatu has pleaded not guilty at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court.
Four men have been charged with violent disorder in connection with the Epping protests, with Essex Police Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow stating: “We will not hesitate to make arrests when criminality takes place.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged to “end the costly use of asylum hotels in this parliament,” claiming it would save the Treasury £1 billion annually. However, the government faces mounting pressure as accommodation costs continue to escalate.
The Labour group at Tower Hamlets Borough Council released a statement pledging the area “has a long history of providing a safe haven for those fleeing religious or political persecution,” adding they are “proud of that history.
Security Measures Remain
Workers were seen moving beds and mattresses into the building on Wednesday morning, whilst the newly erected barriers and police presence remain in place. A lone police car maintained watch outside the hotel as the immediate protests subsided.
The Home Office has not confirmed when asylum seekers might begin arriving at the hotel, which advertises “superb views over the London skyline” and sits near major financial institutions including JP Morgan and One Canada Square.
As tensions continue to simmer, authorities remain on high alert for potential further demonstrations, with government sources expressing concerns about a repeat of last summer’s widespread riots.
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