Protests against the use of hotels to house asylum seekers have grown in Scotland, putting pressure on the Scottish government and local authorities as councils warn of rising costs and strains on public services.
Demonstrations have taken place in several locations, including a gathering of about 150 people outside a former railway station hotel in Perth, and protests in Aberdeenshire and Falkirk. First Minister John Swinney described the demonstrations as "distasteful" and "completely unacceptable," remarks that focused criticism on protesters rather than the government’s handling of asylum accommodation.
Local leaders say the protests have exposed the strain on housing, social services and council finances resulting from increased numbers of asylum seekers and people in need of temporary accommodation. Glasgow City Council, which is run by the Scottish National Party (SNP), has warned of a potential £90 million budget gap, including an estimated £66 million overspend on homelessness services. Council officials said they expected asylum-related costs in the Glasgow city area to be about £26.5 million in 2024–25 and projected that figure could rise to £79 million within three years.
Glasgow reported that 4,193 asylum seekers were receiving support at the end of last year, the highest figure of any British city, according to council statements. Earlier this year the council asked the UK Home Office for a temporary pause in the dispersal of asylum seekers to the city, saying it did not have the capacity or the funds to absorb further arrivals without creating significant challenges and risks.
Council leaders and some local politicians have attributed some of the pressure to continued use of hotels to house asylum seekers following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, an independent inquiry led by Baroness Helena Kennedy, KC, criticised the practice of rehousing asylum seekers in hotels and highlighted risks to residents and strain on local services. The inquiry said the practice had continued after the pandemic.
Those who oppose the hotels being used for asylum accommodation point to incidents that have heightened public concern. Media reports have identified a case involving an Afghan national who was accused of raping a 15-year-old after claiming asylum in the UK; the case was cited by protesters and local campaigners as an example of the risks they say have been posed by current arrangements. Authorities have said high-profile criminal cases increase public tensions around asylum accommodation.
The broader political implications are evident in polling and party positioning. A Norstat survey published in February found that 77 percent of Scots want immigration to either decrease or remain at current levels. The poll results have been cited by parties and commentators as reflecting voter concern about migration and public services.
Nationally, polling has suggested increased support for Reform UK in Scotland. Some surveys indicate that Reform UK has made gains in voting intention ahead of next year’s Scottish Parliament election and, in some measures, has edged past the Scottish Labour Party on Westminster voting intention. Party leaders have debated responses to the rise of the hard right, and in April First Minister Swinney convened a cross-party meeting, billed as a "Democratic Resilience Summit," with civic groups and leaders from most parties to discuss how to counter those forces. Former UK Independence Party and Reform UK figure Nigel Farage described the meeting as evidence that Scotland’s political establishment was "running scared."
Scottish government officials have defended a policy approach that aims to protect rights and maintain protections for people threatened with homelessness, including legal obligations placed on councils to provide emergency housing. Critics say those obligations, combined with rising asylum arrivals and the continued use of temporary hotel accommodation, have exacerbated local pressures on housing and social services.
Local authorities have called for more support and clearer mechanisms from the UK Home Office for managing dispersals and funding. The Home Office and the Scottish government are legally and politically distinct on immigration policy, and ministers in Edinburgh have repeatedly said that responsibility for immigration control rests with the UK government in Westminster, while arguing for resources and policies that can address local impacts.
Past incidents highlighted by campaigners include a 2020 attack at a Glasgow city centre hotel, in which an asylum seeker was among several people injured during a knife attack; the assailant was later shot dead by police. Authorities and independent inquiries have repeatedly warned that the use of hotels for long-term accommodation can create safeguarding and public-safety challenges, particularly when mental-health and support services are stretched.
As Scotland approaches local and national elections, tensions over asylum accommodation and migration policy remain politically salient. Councils warn that without additional funding or adjustments to dispersal policies, pressures on homelessness services, housing stock and other local services are likely to grow, while national political debate over migration continues to shift.
Government officials in Scotland and the UK say they are engaging with local authorities to address immediate pressures and longer-term solutions. Local leaders and campaign groups have called for a coordinated approach that balances legal obligations, safeguarding, and capacity planning to reduce the risk of further public unrest and to ensure services can meet demand.