Police arrest 15 amid violence outside British hotel for asylum seekers

British police said on Saturday that 15 people, including a 13-year-old, had been arrested after a protest by a mob outside a hotel housing asylum seekers turned violent, causing injuries and a police car being set on fire.

Violators threw lighted firecrackers at police officers after the first peaceful protest and counter-protest on Saturday evening in Knowsley, near Liverpool in northwest England, police said.

Knowsley Council said the protest took place outside the Suites Hotel, which has been offering shelter to asylum seekers since January 2022, under a UK government contract.

One officer and two members of the public suffered minor injuries, police said, adding that 13 men and two women were arrested.

“Some people who came to Hotel Suites last night intended to use the planned protest to commit violent and despicable acts,” said Chief Const. Serena Kennedy of Merseyside Police.

Some people had been armed with hammers and fireworks to “cause as much trouble as possible,” he said.

PM cracking down on illegal migration

Rumors and misinformation have spread on social media ahead of the violence that happened on February 6 in Knowsley in which a man made inappropriate advances to a teenage girl, Kennedy said.

“We know that those who participated in yesterday’s violent activities used this as an excuse to commit violence and intimidate members of the public,” he said, adding that an investigation into the incident involving the teenage girl was underway.

As the number of migrants crossing the English Channel to reach the UK rises, the government is using hotels across the country as temporary accommodation while they process applications for asylum.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cracking down on illegal migration one of the government’s top priorities and is planning new rules to deal with the problem.

The arrival of migrants in small boats has become a major political issue, particularly in working-class areas of northern and central England, where they have been blamed for making it harder for people to find work and improving public services.

Police said they will enforce a deployment order in the area around the Suites Hotel for two days, and extra officers will conduct high-visibility policing to prevent further incidents.