Protests outside an Exeter hotel understood to be accommodating asylum-seekers are dividing political opinion.

The Hampton by Hilton hotel near Exeter Airport was the scene of a protest last Saturday, and some social media posts have suggested another could be planned this weekend.

Two distinct sides arrived at the hotel; one side in favour of stricter immigration laws and against the placement of migrants in hotels without communities being consulted first, with the other emphasising that the asylum-seekers should be welcomed and suggesting that major political parties have whipped their presence into a frenzy.

The protests, posters for which appear to have come from an organisation called the Great British National Protest, have mostly been promoted on social media platforms, such as Facebook, while those sites have also been used to advertise counter-action.

A video of the protest, filmed by someone who goes by the online name troybot14, was posted on YouTube, and has been verified by Devon and Cornwall Police and Stand up to Racism as being from the event on Saturday (9 August).

The individual filming talks to police, and also to protesters on the other side of the debate who are expressing their support for the migrants.

A brief conversation with a security guard on the edge of the hotel grounds appears to suggest the asylum seekers in the hotel are mostly women or families.

The lack of single male asylum seekers is welcomed by the individual and a co-protester who is also filming proceedings.

The issue of the government’s finances is also expressed on the video, with a suggestion that the protesters are concerned about what they view as the cost of looking after asylum seekers, and frustration about the assistance provided to them amid an era of stretched public resources.

Ruth Williams, a councillor on Exeter City Council, attended as a private individual in support of the refugees.

“I turned up to support those that are currently staying in the hotel,” she said.

“The protest was fine, and police were in attendance, and they were very friendly and speaking to both sides of the protest.”

Ms Williams said no trouble occurred between the opposing groups, but that she did worry about the effect on those being looked after in the hotel.

“I’m concerned the people in the hotel will be intimidated, and because the hotel is not in [the centre of] Exeter they are going to be quite isolated and it could be quite difficult for them to leave,” she added.

Councillor Neil Stevens (Alphington and Cowick, Reform UK), a member of the Reform UK party at Devon County Council, said most people attending the protests were “ordinary, decent residents who have valid concerns about the safety and wellbeing of their communities”.

“In Exeter, as elsewhere, these protests are driven by frustration at being ignored by politicians in Westminster and by local authorities,” he said.

“It’s important to understand the root cause. Large numbers of predominantly young, male migrants, often unchecked and unvetted, are being placed into hotels in the heart of our cities

“This is happening without local consultation, and without the infrastructure, policing, or community safeguards in place. That creates very real anxieties for residents, particularly women and families, and these concerns should not be dismissed or labelled unfairly.”

Exeter Stand up to Racism said the protests had been “whipped up by the inflammatory language and misinformation used by senior politicians from Reform UK, the Conservative Party and the prime minister himself”.

“These politicians have given confidence to far-right organisations that want to spread their racism,” the group said

“The hotel in Exeter houses mostly families, women and children, and they will have been very distressed to see the anger directed at them by the protesters.

“Many have already been through very traumatic events. Our counter-protest was made up of ordinary people who heard about the event via friends, activists and social media, for example one family broke their holiday in Devon to join us.”

The group added it had been joined at the hotel by members of the Labour Party, Amnesty International and Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

“We are all united in wanting the asylum seekers in the hotel to know that we welcome them to Exeter,” the group added.

“The views of the anti-asylum seeker protesters are not the views of the majority in Exeter. We mobilised many more people than they did and we stand in solidarity with those who seek asylum and protection in our country. They deserve our compassion not our hatred.”

One attendee, who did not want to be named, said reducing the issue to two sides was “sad”.

“We are all British, and actually I find we mostly agree on 90 per cent of the topics,” the attendee said.

“It would have been great if we sat in a circle and discussed the issues.”

The attendee said they spoke to people from both sides, as well as the police, to “listen to those who oppose the presence of asylum seekers at the hotel and those who support their presence”.

They claimed those who supported the migrants “largely did not want a conversation” and suggested their protesting style was at times “aggressive” and louder with a trumpet and megaphone, while those against the migrant situation came without megaphones and signs, with many having “simply British flags” and a “variety of opinions”.

Asked whether the protests should be outside government buildings rather than the hotels themselves, Reform UK’s Cllr Stevens said people would “always direct their protests where they feel they will be heard”.

“Ideally, the government should be engaging with communities early on, listening to their concerns, and being transparent about who is being placed where,” he said.

“But when politicians refuse to listen or act, it’s no surprise that people feel they have little choice but to take their message directly to the places affected.”

He added that Reform UK’s position in Exeter, Devon and nationally was “clear”.

“We need to end the use of hotels for housing illegal migrants, restore control of our borders, and put the safety and needs of British citizens first,” he said.

“We believe in strong, fair immigration controls, the deportation of all those who arrive illegally, and the proper vetting of anyone entering the country.

“This isn’t about race or prejudice, it’s about security, fairness, and the right of local communities to have a say in what happens where they live.”

A Home Office spokesperson said since taking office, the government had taken “immediate action to fix the asylum system” by closing down hotels and returning more than 35,000 people who did not have a legal right to remain in the UK.

“From over 400 asylum hotels open in summer 2023, costing almost £9 million a day, there are now less than 210, and we want them all closed by the end of this Parliament,” the spokesperson said.

“We will continue to work closely with community partners across the country, and discuss any concerns they have, as we look to fix this broken system together.

“The security of the local communities within which hotels are located will always be our paramount concern.”