Britain must shut the door on those who come here and abuse our compassion

OPINION

Across the country, protests are erupting outside migrant hotels. These are not the actions of an intolerant minority, but the inevitable response of a public who see their safety being traded away in the name of political correctness. When allegations of sexual assault seem to be the price of a failed border policy, people are right to say: enough is enough.

The figures are stark. In just the first six months of 2025, 339 charges were brought against migrants living in asylum hotels. Among these were 29 alleged sexual offences, including seven alleged rapes, an indecent exposure allegation and an alleged attempt at sexual communication with a child. One Ethiopian migrant allegedly tried to kiss a 14-year-old schoolgirl within days of arriving.

Alleged violent crime was just as shocking: 64 charges including grievous bodily harm, actual bodily harm, robbery, and even possession of a firearm. And remember — these numbers come from around half of the hotels operating in the country. The real totals may be higher.

Public outrage is not being fuelled by rumour — it is being fuelled by experience. Communities have been forced to live alongside individuals about whom nothing is known, placed there without consent, and shielded by a government unwilling to admit its own failures.

It is no coincidence that foreign nationals are massively over-represented in our crime statistics. Ministry of Justice data shows that individuals from countries like Afghanistan and Eritrea are more than 20 times more likely to be convicted of sexual offences than British citizens, according to a response to a Daily Telegraph FOI.

In London, the picture is even grimmer: since 2018, around 40% of all sex crime charges have been brought against foreign nationals, despite them making up less than a quarter of the capital’s population, according to that same FOI. This is not a statistical quirk — it is a reality the establishment refuses to confront.

Foreign nationals make up nearly 12% of the prison population in England and Wales. Albanians topped the list of foreign nationals in our jails.

This is not an accident. It is the direct consequence of an immigration system that prioritises the rights of those who enter illegally over the indigenous population.

And still, the government’s response is to reward arrivals with hotel accommodation, three meals a day, and spending money. The message to the world is clear: come here illegally and you will be looked after. That message must end.

Advance UK’s position is simple and necessary:

• Stop the boats before they reach our shores, with a dedicated force patrolling our territorial waters.

• Immediate detention for illegal arrivals in secure facilities until deportation, with no path to citizenship.

• Strong stance on the world stage — countries that refuse to take back their citizens should receive no British aid and no favourable trade terms.

We must remove the incentives that draw illegal migrants here. Most are not genuine refugees fleeing war — they are coming from safe countries like France, seeking economic opportunity. That is not asylum; it is exploitation.

Critics will try to brand this stance as ‘far-right’. That is a lie. This is about law, order, and the right of UK citizens to live without fear. It is about protecting our women and children, our communities, and our sovereignty.

The British people are compassionate. But compassion without control is chaos. And chaos is exactly what we have invited into our own towns and cities.

We can turn the tide — but only if we confront the truth without flinching. That truth is that Britain’s borders are broken, and until we shut the door to those who abuse our hospitality, our streets will not be safe.

Advance UK will not just talk about it. We will act. Because until we defend our borders and protect our people, nothing else matters.

We either defend our borders now, or we surrender our safety forever.