A protest in front of a hotel in North-West England, where foreigners seeking asylum are accommodated, turned into violence yesterday, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
Merseyside Police said three people had been arrested for “disorderly related incidents” near a hotel in Knowsley, not far from Liverpool.
Law enforcement officials said the protest began peacefully alongside a counter-protest in support of refugees.
The police specified that no one was seriously injured, but the violence was “completely unacceptable”.
According to local MP George Howarth, the demonstration was sparked by an “alleged incident on social media”.
Knowsley residents are not bigots and welcome people fleeing some of the world’s most dangerous places in search of safety, Howarth said. These anti-refugee demonstrations at tonight’s protest are not representative of our community, the MP pointed out last night.
Britain takes in fewer asylum seekers than its European neighbours, including France and Germany, but has seen a sharp increase in the number of people trying to reach the country across the Channel in small boats.
Over 45,000 people arrived in the UK via this route in 2022. Due to political turmoil and bureaucratic delays, the system for processing asylum applications has become extremely slow and migrants remain stranded in hotels or other temporary accommodation.
The Channel crossing has become a hot political issue, with the Conservative British government promising to “stop the boats”. Opponents accuse the cabinet of demonizing desperate people fleeing war and poverty.
In October, firebombs were thrown at a processing center for new arrivals in the port city of Dover. Police said at the time that the attacker was motivated by far-right ideology. After the attack, the attacker committed suicide.