ITV GMB star says 'It's the last thing anyone wants to see' in migrant hotel update

Adil Ray aired his fears for protests against migrant hotels turning violent on Good Morning Britain today.

It comes as ministers are bracing for further legal challenges from councils across the country after anEssex local authority won a High Court injunction to evict asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel.

On Tuesday a High Court judge ordered all asylum seekers in the Bell Hotel in Epping to leave the premisis. The shock ruling followed weeks of at-times violent protests outside the hotel, after a man from Afghanistan was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

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News correspondent Jonathan Swain issued the latest updates, with Home Secretary Chris Philp joining the studio via video link later in the morning.

Adil began: "We are hearing that other councils could be following Epping's lead which is really worrying for the government because we know that these protests sometimes they turn violent and they were accused of having some far-right members as part of the protest as well.

"This is the last thing the Labour government, or anyone really, wants to see," he added.

Jonathan, who reported live from outside the Bell Hotel, added: "This hotel will soon be closing and soon there may be many others following suit because it now seems that community cohesion is the focus rather than party politics."

He then went on to explain that there had been protests for many weeks, as he added: "Now, Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party, is saying to 33 councils around the country that are run by the Conservatives to look into the prospect of also closing migrant hotels in those particular councils."

Jonathan then revealed there was "a major headache for the government" as "two Labour-run councils in the Wirral and Townworth are also looking at their options as well."

It comes after Reform UK announced yesterday that they would like to see more migrant hotels closed.

Later in the show, Adil Ray and Charlotte Hawkins spoke to Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who has written to Yvette Cooper, demanding she "rules out moving asylum seekers into housing, needed by British families."

After speaking about the topic of Rwanda, Adil added: "70-80% of them are genuine asylum seekers leaving warzone countries. Are we really saying that our British values are that we would send them to a country that is unsafe, where we know they shot down refugees in that country who are begging for food?"

"The people crossing from small boats, aren't departing from a war zone, they're leaving France," Chris said. "And often, they will travel through not just France..."

However, Adil stopped him there, claiming they didn't have enough time, adding: "You know they have every right to come here, they don't have to stop at the first country. We know that is not true. We have a long history of refugees coming to this country, we would never have any here if we said stop at the first country. Everyone has a neighbouring country."

Chris said that the country has brought over 25,000 or more Afghans who work for British forces as well as 200,000 Ukrainians.

Later, coming back to his point, Adil added: "Do you think it's okay to send them to an unsafe country where Rwandan officials have shot refugees in the street who are begging for food? Are you saying Britain is happy sending people to a country like that?"

"It's not just the British parliament who was happy with that the UNHCR did as well. The UNHCR sends refugees themselves from places like Libya to Rwanda, so if the UNHCR considers it safe and suitable, I think it's reasonable that we do as well.

"The courts concern that you referred to was specifically about the risk that somebody would get sent to Rwanda from their country of origin which might not be safe, that was the courts concern," he continued.

"And that's why the last government entered into a treaty, got binding commitments from the Rwandan government they wouldn't do that and we passed a bill through parliament in order to deal with the concerns the courts raised.

"The point is, Labour cancelled that scheme just days before it was due to start and as a result, illegal immigration over the channel, from France, has surged to record ever levels under this government. They've got a migration crisis which is of their own creation, and that is why we then have those problems with hotels and everything else."

A total of 32,059 asylum seekers were being housed temporarily in UK hotels at the end of Labour’s first year in Government, up 8% on the same point 12 months ago, Home Office data revealed today. While Government spending on asylum in the UK stood at £4.76 billion in 2024/25, down 12% from a record £5.38 billion in 2023/24.

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