“I Fled My Country” – Asylum Seeker Who Crossed the English Channel into the UK Reveals What He Wants to Do If Given the Opportunity

It has now been one year since asylum seekers living in a hotel in Oxford spoke about their fears and confusion over protests taking place outside the building.

Last year, some of the people staying at the Holiday Inn Express near Oxford’s Kassam Stadium spoke about their experiences of living in Oxfordshire and trying to build a new life in the UK.

The exact number of asylum seekers currently staying at the hotel has not been made public. However, the latest Home Office figures showed that 140 asylum seekers were living in hotel accommodation across the Oxford City Council area as of June 30, 2026.

When protests were held outside the Holiday Inn Express, many of the asylum seekers staying there did not want to speak about what was happening. For some, the language barrier made it difficult to communicate, while others simply said they did not want to become involved in the situation.

Around 20 people staying at the hotel stood outside and watched the demonstration. Security staff were nearby as protesters and counter-protesters gathered outside, creating a noisy and tense atmosphere.

One man who agreed to speak said he was from Afghanistan. At the time, he said he had arrived in the UK around one year and five months earlier and had been staying at the Holiday Inn Express throughout that period.

When he was asked how he felt about people protesting against asylum seekers staying at the hotel, he made it clear that he was unhappy.

“Not happy. Not happy at all,” he said.

The man said he struggled to understand why some people were so strongly against him and the other asylum seekers living there.

Another man, who said he was from Syria, also spoke about his experience. However, he refused to give his name or have his photograph taken because he was worried that doing so could make him a target.

He explained that he had fled Syria because of the conflict there and had been living at the Oxford hotel for just over a month.

The man said he had come from a country affected by war and hoped to create a better future for himself in Britain. He said he wanted to work, attend college and continue learning. He also spoke about his hopes for the future, saying he would like to become either a zookeeper or a police officer one day.

Speaking about the protests, he said he did not understand why some people appeared to judge all asylum seekers in the same way.

He said he felt that some people saw everyone staying at the hotel as bad simply because they were asylum seekers. However, he insisted that this was not the case and said many people like him were simply looking for the opportunity to live safer and better lives.

The Syrian man also explained how he reached Britain. He said he travelled across the English Channel in a small boat from Calais in France to Dover.

According to him, police officers took him away after he arrived and kept his mobile phone for three days. Although being without his phone was difficult, he said he understood that the authorities had their reasons for taking it.

Security staff working outside the hotel also spoke about some of the problems they had faced.

They said there had been incidents involving people entering the hotel and causing disruption. According to the security team, members of the public were allowed to enter if they genuinely wanted to ask questions and speak to a supervisor, but anyone believed to be entering simply to cause trouble was not welcome.

The situation around asylum hotels has continued to create strong debate, with some local residents and protesters raising concerns about the use of hotels to accommodate people while their asylum claims are being considered.

At the same time, charities supporting asylum seekers have argued that many of the people living in these hotels have escaped extremely difficult situations and have little control over where the Government places them.

Hari Reed, chief executive of the Oxford charity Asylum Welcome, said people who apply for asylum have a legal right to have their claims considered.

Reed said many asylum seekers have escaped frightening and traumatic situations and arrive in Britain scared and hoping for an opportunity to rebuild their lives.

Reed also explained that many asylum seekers are not allowed to work while waiting for decisions on their claims, even though some would like to find jobs and support themselves.

According to Reed, asylum seekers also do not get to choose where they are accommodated. They can be placed in hotels or other accommodation while their cases are being processed.

Reed added that many asylum seekers do not want to spend long periods living in hotels either, but they often have little choice while waiting for the Government to decide what happens next.

For the people staying at the Oxford hotel, the demonstrations outside have added another difficult experience to an already uncertain situation. Some say they do not understand why people who have never met them personally are protesting against their presence.

Meanwhile, the wider argument over asylum accommodation continues, with communities, campaigners, charities and the Government facing difficult questions about how people seeking asylum should be housed while their claims are being considered.