Around 100 people gathered on Saturday outside the Tickled Trout Hotel near Samlesbury in Lancashire, where Afghans who supported British troops and others judged to be at risk from the Taliban are being accommodated, local organisers and attendees said.
Several demonstrators carried England flags and placards calling for tighter immigration controls, and two people sat in an inflatable dinghy on the River Ribble and unfurled a banner that read "ban foreign criminals," witnesses said. Organisers of a separate far-right street demonstration in London on the same day said more than 110,000 people took part there.
A small counter-protest of about four people placed signs on the hotel's fence and drew some conversation with those at the anti-asylum seeker gathering, attendees said. Police officers were present for much of the afternoon but largely kept a low profile and maintained distance between groups, according to witnesses.
Speakers who addressed the crowd on a small stage framed their remarks around cultural and security concerns. One speaker said academic studies showed "diversity did not work as the cultures were different," referring specifically to Islam, while another warned of an unverified "ISIS terror plot" targeting schools. Organisers and several speakers also made calls for deportation of people who commit crimes in the United Kingdom.
Some statements at the event included predictions and scenarios that were not supported with publicly verifiable evidence. Attendees expressed a range of views: one man who would not give his name said he would have protested even if the hotel housed Ukrainians and said he did not believe residents had been properly vetted. A speaker identified as Ste, from the Christian Constitutionalists Alliance of Nations, said he supported immigration in principle but opposed what he characterised as "someone breaking into my house" and said anyone who committed a crime should be deported regardless of origin.
The hotel has been used to house Afghans who worked with British forces during operations in Afghanistan as well as those who say they face persecution or risk of murder by the Taliban if returned, according to information previously released by local authorities and charities involved in resettlement. Local officials have said arrangements for accommodation are part of broader government and council responses to asylum and resettlement needs.
Saturday's events took place amid heightened public debate in the United Kingdom over migration and asylum policy. The large street demonstration in London was organised by activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, whose rallies have drawn both supporters and opposition in recent years. Local activists and some residents said the Lancashire protest was part of a wider wave of demonstrations around migration policy on the same weekend.
Both the anti-asylum seeker gathering and the counter-protest remained peaceful through the afternoon, and there were no reports of arrests or injuries at the site. Police said they were monitoring the situation to maintain public order. Hotel staff and residents did not publicly comment at the scene, and local authorities did not immediately respond to requests for additional details on security arrangements or the status of those accommodated at the facility.
Advocates for refugees and for those who worked with UK forces in Afghanistan have repeatedly urged that resettlement cases be handled with appropriate security checks and support services while warning against rhetoric that could stigmatise people already identified as at risk. Local community groups in Lancashire have previously organised support and integration activities for new arrivals in the area.
The demonstration was one of several recent public events highlighting tensions between local communities, campaigners and national debates over asylum, resettlement and border policy. Police said they would continue to liaise with community leaders and organisers to prevent disorder and protect the safety of residents and demonstrators alike.