Angry protests erupt outside taxpayer-funded asylum hotel as demonstrators shout: 'Back in your rubber dinghies!'

Daily Mail​

a day ago

Angry protests erupted outside a taxpayer-funded asylum hotel in Leeds today, with demonstrators shouting 'back in your rubber dinghies' to those inside.
Police were out in force as crowds waving Union flags and banging instruments converged on the Britannia Hotel in the Seacroft area of the city.
Officers formed a defensive cordon around the building, which was targeted during last summer's riots.
Today, protesters - some of them masked - were seen shouting 'get them out, get them out' in the faces of police, who refused to let them through.
One man screamed 'back in your rubber dinghies', while another said: 'Not only have they got a free hotel they have extra bobbies looking after them'.
There were also screams of 'paedo' by protesters who accused one migrant of taking pictures of a young girl at the nearby Tesco.
Residents were instructed to remain inside the hotel during the protest, which saw at least one man arrested - according to a livestream video.
Footage of the demonstration ended with the organisers thanking people for coming, with one speaker saying: 'You have done yourselves proud.'
Protests took place earlier this week outside The Britannia International Hotel in London's Canary Wharf.
Multiple demonstrations have also been held outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, since July 13 after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
In response, the Home Office has said it is working to close hotels and 'restore order'.
And in a bid to stop migrants rejecting alternative housing without a valid reason, ministers will bring in new rules to tackle non-compliance.
A 'Failure to Travel' policy will ensure illegal migrants who are moved from hotels to other 'suitable' accommodation must take it.
If they refuse they could lose their housing and support, the Home Office said.
Around 100 asylum seekers refuse to move accommodation each week, the Mail understands, and ministers currently have no powers to force them.
Under the Conservatives, the Government threatened to remove housing and support from those who refused to move to the Bibby Stockholm barge, which is no longer in use.
Labour's new plan will mirror the Tory rules, but will be applied more widely to other forms of accommodation.
The 'firm but fair' policy is part of the Government's drive to end the use of expensive hotels to house asylum seekers.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has vowed to put a stop to the practice by 2029 - in a move she says will save £1billion a year.
Currently, taxpayers are forking out £5.7million per day to house asylum seekers in hotels - at an average cost of £118.87 per person per night.
Other accommodation, such as shared houses, is estimated to cost just £15 per night.
Ministers are looking to buy tower blocks and former student accommodation to house migrants in a bid to reduce the hotel bill.
More than 106,000 asylum seekers were in receipt of taxpayer-funded support as of March this year, including 32,000 in hotels.
The Home Office has said it is working to close hotels and 'restore order'
Asylum seekers are given free accommodation and a weekly allowance if the Home Office believes they would otherwise be destitute.
The majority of those arriving on small boats qualify.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: 'We inherited an asylum system on the brink of collapse - mismanaged, under strain, and costing the public a fortune. We are getting a grip.
'We are working to close hotels, restore order, and put fairness and value for money at the heart of our asylum system. This government is making those necessary decisions to protect the taxpayer and uphold the integrity of our borders.
'These reforms to the Failure to Travel policy are another example of this government's action to transform the asylum accommodation system and crack down on those who abuse our system, so it operates fairly and saves the taxpayer money.'