LONDON: The UK government vowed on Sunday to overhaul its asylum system after weekend protests broke out across the country at hotels housing migrants.

The government said it will establish a new independent body to hear appeals by failed applicants more quickly as it attempts to end the costly use of asylum hotels, which have become the target of protests.

The protests began outside a hotel in Epping, southeast England, after one resident was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. The Labour government said on Friday it would appeal a court ruling blocking it from housing asylum seekers at the hotel.

The ruling triggered the announcement of protests and counter-protests outside hotels accommodating asylum seekers around the country. A group gathered outside a Holiday Inn in Birmingham, central England, on Sunday, while police stood guard outside the Britannia Hotel in central London, the site of ongoing protests, as around 20 people demonstrated.

Other events were planned in Manchester, northwest England, and Dudley in the Midlands. Protests under the “Abolish Asylum System” slogan were held on Saturday in cities and towns including Bristol, Exeter, Tamworth, Cannock, Nuneaton, Liverpool, Wakefield, Newcastle, Aberdeen, Perth and in central London.

Police separated rival groups in Bristol, with officers scuffling with protesters.

“Our officers have dealt admirably with a really challenging situation,” said Keith Smith, a senior officer with Avon and Somerset Police.

“While there were moments of disturbance, we’re pleased to say the two protests have passed without significant incident,” he added.

Eleven people were arrested for various offences including being drunk and disorderly, and assault in Liverpool. The protests began outside a hotel in Epping, southeast England, after one resident was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

‘Complete chaos’

The policy of housing migrants in hotels was introduced by the last Conservative government, which was ousted in 2024 elections.

The latest official data showed that 32,345 asylum seekers were temporarily housed in UK hotels at the end of March.

The government is battling to reduce the backlog of initial asylum claims and court delays over appeals, which it says is the biggest cause of pressure in the asylum accommodation system.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the year to June 2025 — the highest number ever.

There are currently 106,000 cases waiting to be heard, including at least 51,000 appeals. The average wait time for an appeal is 53 weeks.

The government said that “lessons are also being learned from other European countries”, including nations where appeals are decided by an independent panel rather than absorbed into the slow-moving main judiciary system.

“We inherited an asylum system in complete chaos with a soaring backlog of asylum cases and a broken appeals system,” said interior minister Yvette Cooper in a press release.

“We are determined to substantially reduce the number of people in the asylum system as part of our plan to end asylum hotels… we cannot carry on with these completely unacceptable delays in appeals,” she added. The government is under pressure to find a solution, particularly from the hard-right Reform UK party, which is riding high in the polls.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025