WATCH: Government Under Fire for Housing Migrants in Luxury London Hotel
Taxpayers outraged as high-end Canary Wharf hotel is converted into asylum housing
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A wave of public protests has erupted across the United Kingdom following revelations that the government has relocated hundreds of asylum seekers into a four-star hotel in one of London’s most upscale districts.
With no prior public notice, the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf has reportedly been repurposed to house migrants, sparking fierce criticism from local residents and activists.
The move follows unrest in Essex, where community anger has intensified after an alleged sexual assault involving a 14-year-old girl and a migrant resident at a separate hotel facility.
The Britannia, with average nightly rates near £460, could generate up to £230,000 per night at full occupancy - potentially placing a heavy financial burden on UK taxpayers, who are funding the arrangement. On-the-ground reports indicate the hotel is now secured by a significant police and private security presence. London-based journalist Jack Hadfield, who has been documenting the scene, described the mood among protesters as tense but controlled.
“You’re witnessing ordinary citizens, people who aren’t politically extreme, coming out to protest in growing numbers,” Hadfield told independent immigration outlet Border Hawk.
“The fact that these protests remain peaceful makes it much harder for authorities to dismiss the movement as fringe or extremist.”
Tourists and business travelers arriving at the hotel have reportedly been turned away, some learning only upon arrival that their bookings had been canceled.
While speculation continues that migrants have been relocated from Essex’s Bell Hotel to the Britannia, the UK Home Office has denied a direct link between the two facilities.