The UK is facing renewed racism tensions this summer, a year after the Southport riots in 2011. Tensions have also risen over the accommodation of asylum seekers at a hotel in the east London town of Epping.
The latest protests in Epping have already seen clashes with police and 16 arrests. Eight police officers were injured in a protest last week.
“This is not an isolated incident. It is a warning to us. It is a sign of how quickly things can accelerate and how poorly prepared we are,” said Tiff Lynch, chairwoman of the UK Police Federation.
Protesters chanted “Protect our children” and “Send them home.” Some banners read “Deport foreign criminals.”
British cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News on Thursday that “the government, the police and the agencies involved are preparing for all eventualities.” He added, “The number of hotels used for asylum seekers has decreased from 400 to 200.”
Meanwhile, nearly 24,000 irregular migrants have crossed the Channel into the UK in small boats so far in 2025, the highest number of the year so far. The issue has sparked nationwide unrest, fuelled by far-right groups on social media.
Exactly a year ago, on 29 July 2024, three teenage girls were stabbed to death in Southport, with rumours that the attacker was a migrant. However, police confirmed he was a UK-born young man.
The ongoing unrest in Epping began after a 38-year-old asylum seeker was captured on suspicion of sexual assault. Since then, protests have intensified there, led by far-right groups. However, local MP Neil Hudson told parliament, “This violence is not the face of Epping, it does not assembly our society.”
Local residents have alleged that many of the protesters are from outside the area. Protesters gathered again on Thursday night and one person was arrested by police. The local council has passed a resolution to stop the hotel from housing asylum seekers ahead of another possible demonstration on Sunday.
Analysts say the UK is likely to see more racist turmoil this summer. Similar protests have already spread to the town of Diss in southeast England and Ballymena in Northern Ireland.
Technology and social media are among the drivers of these coordinated protests. “This is not just a political issue. People are frustrated. The government doesn’t understand how angry we are. Not all the people outside the Epping hotel are far-right. Many were ordinary families.”
Meanwhile, tensions are rising due to the impact of the campaign spread on social media. Analysts say the influence of these platforms should not be overestimated. Instead, it is important to build resistance locally. Infomigrants