EXCLUSIVE: One hotel has been the focus of fury since April when a “predatory” asylum seeker was jailed for more than eight years for raping a woman.
‘Everyone is fed up’ says Norwich local Danny (Image: Getty)
A furious migrant hotel protestor believes “all migrant hotels should be shut immediately” with Brits across the country being “fed false promises”. Speaking exclusively to the Express Danny says his town “is fed up” of hotels housing migrants, causing locals in their hundreds to take to the streets, chanting “we want our country back”.
Norfolk residents’ fury was first sparked by two asylum seekers committing horrific crimes in their much-loved hometown. One “predatory” asylum seeker who arrived in Britain on a small boat was jailed for more than eight years earlier this year after raping a woman who was so drunk she couldn’t remember the attack in Norwich city centre. Eritrean Dan Tesfalul, 27, who arrived in the UK in 2022, attacked his victim after she left a nightclub and only fled when he was challenged by a security guard.
Eritrean Dan Tesfalul was jailed for more than eight years (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)
Rashid Al-Waeli sent a 14-year-old boy naked pictures (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)
Judge Alice Robinson told him he was an “extremely dangerous” offender who had shown a “predatory sexual manner” towards the victim he “specifically targeted” on May 2, 2024 as she was unable to defend herself due to drink.
Also, this year, asylum seeker Rashid Al-Waeli was jailed for 20 months after he tried to persuade a 14-year-old boy to send naked images of himself, a court heard.
Both men were staying at the now notorious Best Western Brook Hotel – one of two Norwich sites used by the Home Office to house migrants.
The other hotel is The Park Hotel in Diss, South Norfolk, which houses only single male asylum seekers; it was previously used by families seeking asylum.
Danny, who did not give his second name, lives just five minutes from the Brook Hotel. Slamming the Government’s flagship ‘one in, one out’ agreement with France, Danny says “the Government is wasting billions on hotels for illegal unvetted migrants whilst our own people are out on the streets homeless”.
Flag bearing demonstrations outside The Brook Hotel (Image: Getty)
He said: “All migrant hotels should be shut immediately, the deportation of those with existing criminal records should be prioritised.
“I think locals up and down the country will seek encouragement from the closure of the Bell Hotel in Epping.”
He added: “It’s clear to see over the last few months the momentum these protests have gathered as the British public are sick and tired.”
In a direct message to Keir Starmer Danny, 27, says: “It simply cannot go on like this, the deal with France is a complete insult to the United Kingdom.”
Exasperated locals in Norfolk believe The Brook Hotel triggers one problem after the other with residents primarily angry at the Labour Government.
Danny said: “I think you have to direct anger at the Government but also on the other hand you have illegal men that are committing crimes on our streets so local protests are very important, when you look at the data for small boat crossings clearly not enough is being done, all we have had is false promises.
“I feel everyone is fed up and feels like it’s one thing after another with this hotel.
“The original reason the protests started was due to two migrants being sentenced to prison, one for rape and another one for child sex offences with lots more gone on around the local area.”
In a bid to make their voices heard, protests against migrant hotels now happen twice a week, attracting hundreds of flag bearing demonstrators.
One protest took place yesterday with scores of people proudly captured waving their English and British flags high.
“There are around two flash demonstrations happening each week at the Brook Hotel with a main protest happening each Sunday afternoon,” says Danny.
He added: “The Sunday afternoon protests regularly gather around 300-400 protesters, the general mood is generally good with lots of flag flying and music.”
Approximately 26 protests are expected to sweep the country this weekend. Protests in Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Leicester, Leeds, Orpington, Perth, Aberdeen and Altrincham are all expected to take place tonight.
Protestors outside The Brook Hotel in Norwich yesterday, August 21 (Image: Danny)
