Migrant hotel hit by protests in Norfolk threatens to close if Home Office pushes ahead with plans to replace resident asylum seeker families with single adult men

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

A Norfolk migrant hotel hit by protests has threatened to close if the Home Office pushes ahead with plans to replace the families it is currently housing with single men.
Around 150 people gathered outside the Park Hotel in Diss on Monday night for a 'peaceful' demonstration after the Home Office announced the proposed change.
But footage posted on social media, including by supporters of far right activist Tommy Robinson, showed clashes between pro and anti-migrant groups.
The owners of the Park Hotel have now issued a statement insisting they will not agree to the request to move away from only housing families.
'We would also like to confirm and reassure the community of Diss that we have advised the Home Office and other stakeholders that, should this situation change, and we are formally notified that the hotel will no longer operate as a family-only establishment, we will have no alternative but to close,' it read.
'There are currently vulnerable families and children staying at the hotel - many of whom are feeling frightened and uncertain about recent events at the hotel and their futures. We ask for understanding and sensitivity during this time.'
The scuffles in Diss followed violence outside another hotel in Epping, Essex after an asylum seeker was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl eight days after arriving in the UK.
Angela Rayner has warned that anger at high levels of illegal immigration is risking social cohesion in Britain's poorest communities and must be addressed, as fears grow of a new 'summer of riots'.
The Deputy Prime Minister told the Cabinet yesterday that they had to 'acknowledge the real concerns people have' about immigration and economic insecurity.
Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that Britain is a 'powder keg' that could explode into a repeat of the street violence that followed the Southport murders 12 months ago - unless Labour gets a grip on migrant hotels.
Protesters took to the streets of Epping on Sunday - with marchers seen holding red smoke flares aloft as demonstrators displayed signs behind them
According to the Prime Minister's official spokesman, Ms Rayner warned the Cabinet that '17 of the 18 places that saw the worst of the disorder last summer ranked at the top of the most deprived, and while Britain was a successful multi-ethnic, multi-faith country, the Government had to show it had a plan to address people's concerns (and) provide opportunities for everyone to flourish'.
Sir Keir Starmer is facing pressure to act to prevent a repeat of 2024, when towns and cities were hit by violent, often racist protests triggered by the Southport child murders.
As the Commons prepares to break up today for its summer recess, Labour MPs have voiced fears that the country could see violence before they return in September, in a rerun of 12 months ago.
The demonstration in Norfolk started with around 60 people shouting 'we want our country back'.
They were met by about 30 counter-protesters from Stand Up To Racism holding signs that read 'refugees welcome'.
Footage shows them initially standing on opposite sides of the road outside the hotel.
But as tension mounted, they clashed with one another, with protesters crossing the road to confront the counter-protesters.
South Norfolk Council has opposed plans to change the use of the hotel to single adult male migrants, saying it only learned about it in a brief email from Whitehall last week.
It has backed the stance taken by the hotel's owners.
In a letter to the Home Office, council leader Daniel Elmer, wrote: 'We feel the decision and intended timeframe poses significant risks and concerns to both community cohesion and the vulnerable single males who would be residing at the hotel.
'The community impact of this change cannot be overstated. When the hotel was first opened for asylum accommodation, there was considerable unease among local residents.'
He added: 'A sudden shift to a SAM [Single Adult Male] hotel risks reigniting those tensions, especially in the absence of any community engagement or mitigation strategy from the Home Office.'
The Grade II listed Park Hotel is situated on a road containing a mixture of Victorian, Tudor, and Elizabethan houses right in the heart of the historic Diss town centre.
It is adjacent to the mere, a popular destination for locals and tourists which offers scenic views and opportunities for recreation and wildlife viewing.
Julian Bareham, 71, who has lived opposite the Park Hotel for 22 years, complained he didn't want 'these people' walking freely around the town.
'If they are locked in and can't get out, I will feel more at ease. We don't know what these people are capable of,' he said.
'The hotel used to be a nice friendly community hub, an amenity that was well-respected and useful for those needing an overnight stay who were coming here for business. It is a huge loss.
'After lockdown, the hotel never really recovered and the owners sold it to new owners who did a deal with the government and this deal, I believe, has been a disaster for the town.'
But a 55-year-old man who lives near the hotel was supportive of the asylum seekers, however, and expressed concern about the tone of the protests.
Counter-protesters gathered next to a 'stop the boat' banner holding posters up which said 'stop the far right'
A police officer was seen with blood running down his cheek outside The Bell Hotel in Epping on July 20
'It was absolute chaos, people were shouting far right and ill-informed things about how these people will be molesting and raping the women and children of Diss,' he told the Mail.
'I felt absolutely threatened in my own home, they were saying that they are going to be coming every Sunday at 2pm. This is going to disrupt our peaceful family life and I am worried.
'I have no issues with peaceful protests but this was unorganised, people spilling on the streets nearly being run over. A blind woman had to walk onto the road as the pavements were flooded.
'We have had asylum seekers residing next door for the last three years or so, roughly, and there has never been any issues. It is far better and quieter than when the hotel was in operation.'