Imagine getting a call from the police to be told your car has been damaged—and when you go outside, you find your Volvo’s rear windscreen smashed, with a TV lying in the road.
That’s exactly what happened to Ufuoma Odoh one morning near his flat in London—thanks to a television hurled out from a hotel housing asylum seekers.
From Rock Star Mayhem to Everyday Shock
This kind of craziness used to be the fallout of rock‑star hotel rages.
Now, with hotels turned over to asylum seekers, it’s happening in ordinary neighbourhoods—and taxpayers are footing the bill.
Odoh says that despite repeated police visits and the hotel manager pointing out the culprit, no one was prosecuted—and he ended up paying £750 out of pocket for repairs.
A Hidden Toll on Local Residents and Businesses
But Odoh’s experience isn’t unique. A Mail on Sunday review of court cases linked to 70 asylum hotels found hundreds of criminal charges—including rape, arson, theft and knife offences—often by men in their 20s and 30s.
In one London hotel alone, more than 90 offences were registered against 41 people in one year.
Behind the Scenes: Anti-Social Horror Stories
Locals say daily life has become toxic. Business owner Bledar Qirjo says customers avoid his restaurant after 9 pm due to loitering and harassment.
Another resident says young women had to take refuge in a nearby bar after being filmed outside the hotel.
Reports also describe men throwing burning mattresses from windows and children too afraid to play in the park.
From Upscale Area to a Magnet of Disorder
The Thistle City Barbican, once a reputable hotel tucked in Islington near the Barbican Centre, signed an exclusive migrant‑housing deal in 2021.
Since then, reports show it became a hotspot for theft, illegal working, and violent incidents—some even involving crack cocaine and stolen credit cards.
Crime, Consequences and Loopholes
One man arrested for stealing items worth over £10,000 got off with a suspended sentence.
His offences included bag thefts across central London pubs, crack cocaine use, and illegal card transactions.
A spokesperson from the Home Office says over 35,000 failed asylum seekers and foreign national offenders have been deported in the government’s first year—yet most sentences under 12 months won’t trigger automatic removal.
The Financial Fallout for Local Traders
Nearby shops and cafés say trade has nosedived.
One café owner reports paying £30,000 a year in rent while cleaning up litter, fighting off shoplifters, and seeing foot traffic vanish.
Residents say they don’t feel safe walking near the site, especially after dark.
When Safety Becomes a Luxury
Hospitality worker Skye Jones says she’s been harassed by men loitering outside the hotel.
Another mother says men “sit and ogle” her kids playing nearby.
And another resident recounts how a lit mattress was thrown out during a family christening—forcing emergency services to respond.
A Crisis That Shows No Sign of Cooling
This all unfolds in the context of Britain’s escalating small‑boat migrant crisis.
With 32,000 asylum seekers housed in hotels at an annual cost of £3 billion, protests are flaring—from Essex to Canary Wharf.
Government efforts to control borders remain stalled, and local chaos continues to mount.
A Plight with No Easy Fix
Residents call for the hotel to be shut down.
They’re paying taxes, enduring personal risk, and watching local economies suffer.
But until broader policy changes happen, communities are left to bear the fallout—trying to reclaim ordinary life while living in the shadow of a growing housing crisis.