The below gallery of photos shows crowds gathered outside the Chichester Park Hotel on Friday (August 22).
An unofficial poster promoting the anti-immigration event – which appeared on Facebook – read: “Patriots along the South coast unite to call for a full stop to housing illegal migrants in our communities."
One visible poster claimed that migrants ‘live in luxury’, whilst ‘the people live in poverty’.
According to Stand Up To Racism – the group leading the counter protest – the hotel is currently home to a ‘large number of women and children’.
The group said many of these people have ‘fled war-torn countries and are living with the effects of trauma’.
It added: “The overwhelming majority of residents are families, not single men. Children are already attending local schools, and as the most prevalent religion of the hotel’s asylum seekers is Christian, some of the families are part of local church congregations.”
Pictures showed objectors opposite the protesters, displaying signs including: “Migrants make our NHS. Stop scapegoating.”
A second sign read: ‘These are families, not threats’, whilst another added: “Chichester welcomes refugees.”
Towns and cities across the UK are this bank holiday weekend braced for more protests outside hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers – and counter protests at the same sites.
Action is expected to be stepped up and require heavy policing following this week’s move which saw the High Court allow an Essex council to ban immigrants from the Bell Hotel in Epping.
The controversial ruling is being appealed but other local authorities have said they will follow suit in a bid to move asylum seekers from hotels in their own areas.
During protests held on Friday, including Chichester, there was a large police presence in the area.
That previous demonstration at the Chichester Park Hotel – on Friday, August 8 – coincided with at least a dozen other similar protests across the country.
Multiple protests have taken place across England outside hotels used to house asylum seekers in recent weeks.
The Home Office has said the number of hotels being used for asylum seekers has decreased from more than 400 in summer 2023, to less than 210.
It also announced plans to end the use of hotels to house migrants by 2029, which Chancellor Rachel Reeves says will save £1bn a year.
West Sussex County Council said hotels in the county are sometimes used temporarily to house asylum seekers and migrants.
A spokesperson said: “There are a number of facilities across the country, including here in West Sussex, that provide contingency accommodation to both people seeking asylum in the UK and people settling here as refugees. These are sometimes hotels used temporarily when no other safe options are available.
“All contingency accommodation facilities for both asylum seekers and refugees are run by the Government.
“Contingency accommodation for people seeking asylum in the UK is managed by the Home Office.
“Asylum seekers are people who have fled their own country to seek protection in another country by applying for refugee status.
“Contingency accommodation for refugees is managed by the Ministry of Defence.
“Refugees in the UK are people who have left their own country and come here under a government-approved resettlement scheme. These schemes offer a safe and legal route to vulnerable refugees in need of protection.
“Contingency accommodation supports them to do so temporarily while longer-term solutions are found.”
13. Chichester Park Hotel demonstration
'Patriots’ were opposed by counter protesters in Chichester, amid nationwide demonstrations against hotels being used to house migrants. This gallery of photos shows crowds gathered outside the Chichester Park Hotel on Friday (August 22) Photo: Eddie Mitchell