A migrant housed in a UK hotel admits “it feels like we are not welcome” – as tensions surge around asylum accommodation sites such as the Britannia Hotel in Docklands. Ahmed, a Sunni Muslim who says he fled Iran after facing repeated arrest for encouraging his female students to protest against the country’s mandatory hijab laws, was speaking before the UK Government’s one-for-one deal with the French Government came into force on Tuesday.
Now living in temporary Home Office accommodation in the UK, Ahmed said the reception he’s received has left him questioning whether leaving his country was the right decision. He said: “When I arrived here, I was thinking ‘we are here, we have our respect’, because people say you fight for your freedom… for human rights. But when I arrived here I found out we are not welcome.”
Speaking to the i, he added: “If I knew it was like this, maybe I would have stayed in my country.
“Maybe I would have been killed, maybe I would have been tortured. I sometimes think that would have been better than this. Because now I feel ashamed.”
His comments come just as the UK government’s new migrant returns deal came into force this week.
The agreement permits authorities to detain small boat arrivals immediately and return them to France if their asylum claims are ruled inadmissible.
In return, Britain will accept a matching number of vetted asylum seekers who have ties to the UK under a new legal route.
Only people who have not previously attempted a Channel crossing will qualify, and all are required to pass security and documentation checks.
Detentions are expected to begin within days, with immigration removal centres already preparing to receive new arrivals. The pilot scheme is capped at 50 removals per week and is due to run until June 2026, pending a long-term replacement.
The Home Office said the deal aims to dismantle the business model of people smugglers and restore control over illegal immigration. Sir Keir said: “If you come here illegally on a small boat, you will face being sent back to France. We’re ending the chaos and taking back control.”
But critics argue that the numbers involved are minimal compared to the scale of the issue. Over 25,000 migrants have crossed the Channel so far in 2025 — up 49% on the same period last year — prompting questions over how effective the agreement will be.
Inside asylum hotels, the rising political and public pressure is being felt acutely. Ahead of a recent protest outside one hotel, police warned up to 800 people could attend.
Barricades were installed and residents were told not to leave the building.
One charity worker shared messages from residents asking if the protesters had come “to kill them”.