Conflicting reports emerge as Tower Hamlets Council confirms government plans to use Britannia International Hotel for asylum accommodation
Heavy police presence descended on Canary Wharf yesterday as protesters gathered outside the Britannia International Hotel following social media claims that asylum seekers were being housed at the £400-per-night establishment.
Metropolitan Police officers formed protective lines outside the hotel on Marsh Wall as tensions escalated throughout the day, with five Territorial Support Group (TSG) vans arriving to manage the demonstration. Video footage showed eggs being thrown from hotel windows whilst protesters chanted anti-government slogans including obscenities directed at Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The protest occurred amid conflicting information about the hotel’s use. Whilst initial reports suggested no asylum seekers were present, Tower Hamlets Council subsequently confirmed the government’s decision to use the facility for temporary asylum accommodation.
Council Confirms Government Plans
A spokesperson for Tower Hamlets Council said: “We are aware of the Government’s decision to use the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.
The council emphasised the importance of proper support systems. “It is important that the Government ensures that there is a full package of support for those staying at the hotel.”
We are working with the Home Office and partners to make sure that all necessary safety and safeguarding arrangements are in place.
The confirmation came hours after demonstrators, described as protesting about immigration, began gathering outside the luxury hotel. Booking.com currently shows the hotel as unavailable for reservations.
Heightened Security Response
Jack Hadfield, reporting from the scene, documented the arrival of specialist police units. One protester was heard shouting at incoming TSG vans, accusing them of “causing more problems than [they] solve.”
Counter-protesters who attempted to position themselves outside the hotel were moved to safety after scuffles broke out, according to witnesses at the scene. A police helicopter was observed circling overhead as the situation developed.
Police officers stood in a line side-by-side at the entrance to the hotel during the demonstration. Images from the protest showed demonstrators holding flags whilst confronting the police presence.
Links to Essex Disorder
The Canary Wharf demonstration follows violent protests at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, where asylum seekers have been housed. Essex Police said protests at the Bell began peacefully but “escalated to the point of disorder and criminal damage.
The protests began after a 38-year-old asylum seeker was charged with sexual assault after allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. The man is being held without bail after he had his first court appearance on July 10. He denies the charges.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow addressed the Essex incidents, stating: “We don’t take sides, we arrest criminals and we have a duty to ensure no-one is hurt — plain and simple.”
Four men have been charged with violent disorder following the Epping protests and are due to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on August 18.
Britannia Hotels’ Government Contracts
The protest comes as scrutiny intensifies over the use of hotels for asylum accommodation. Britannia Hotels has registered profits of nearly £40 million thanks to its involvement in the Government’s asylum seeker hotel network.
The company – voted the UK’s worst hotel chain for the past 11 years running in polling run by Which? – is one of the main providers of accommodation for the Government’s growing number of asylum seekers.
Reports suggest at least 17 of the chain’s hotels have been block-booked out on behalf of the Government.
Rising Tensions Over Hotel Use
The protests reflect growing tensions over asylum accommodation across the UK. The protests come amid escalating tensions over the rising number of asylum seekers who are being housed at government expense in hotels around the country.
Violent anti-immigrant protests spread throughout the U.K. last summer after social media users spread misinformation about the identity of the person who attacked a dance class in the northwestern town of Southport, killing three young girls.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned last year’s riots as “far-right thuggery” as police intervened to stop the violence and expedited the sentencing of those convicted of taking part.
Government Position
The Home Office maintains that hotel use is a temporary measure. According to previous government statements, asylum hotels were “only ever a temporary measure in response to an unprecedented spike in small boat arrivals.
In 2024, hotel accommodation for asylum seekers cost on average £158 per night. Dispersal accommodation, on the other hand, cost on average £20 per night.
The Metropolitan Police has been contacted for comment regarding yesterday’s protest.
As the situation develops, questions remain about the long-term strategy for asylum accommodation and the impact on local communities. The Britannia International Hotel, normally charging over £400 per night, sits in the heart of London’s financial district, making it an unlikely but increasingly common location for such demonstrations.
The incident highlights the ongoing challenges facing the government in managing asylum accommodation whilst addressing community concerns and preventing disorder.
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