The town of Banbury has housed asylum seekers since 2022.
Residents have complained of falling tourism numbers in recent years (Image: Getty)
Residents of a town in Oxfordshire have told how they believe that a migrant hotel has contributed to falling tourism levels and an increase in crime. Banbury has profited from its geographic location to popular tourist sites such as Silverstone, the Cotswolds, Blenheim Palace and Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon.
The town has also become one of the many across the country to house asylum seekers, with The Banbury House Hotel being transformed for that purpose in 2022. As has become common in towns across Britain to see those awaiting their claims being processed housed within the community, the decision has split opinion amongst residents. James Douglas, 44, owner of Henry’s of Banbury gentleman’s outfitters told the Daily Mail: “I think absolutely that the asylum seekers have to be housed somewhere. But taking over the hotel in Banbury has had a real effect on the town itself.
Tourists attractions such as Bicester Village help boost visits (Image: Getty)
“Since the hotel was turned over to asylum seekers I have noticed a marked drop in tourist footfall and therefore sales.”
“This is because we used to get a lot of tourists coming into the shop who would spend one or two nights in Banbury.
“I understand why the Government is putting asylum seekers in hotels. I wouldn’t want them put onto floating accommodation blocks. But I really don’t think Banbury is the right place to house them.”
However, figures released last month by UK Inbound show that Oxfordshire’s tourism is maintaining its value to the local economy, with tourism revenue increasing by 4% to £2.4 billion, supporting 41,000 jobs, representing 11% of the workforce.
The data did show a reduction in visitor numbers to Oxfordshire but also an increased spending amongst those visiting.
Interestingly, Bicester Village and Banbury’s Castle Quay Waterfront, two attractions close to the town, contributed to more than a quarter of all visits by tourists to the county.
Others in the town, believe that high levels of crime in the town has some correlation with the housing of asylum seekers.
Whilst the correlation, if any, between the housing of migrants and high levels of crime is impossible to ascertain, some residents report feeling when travelling around.
The town has high levels of crime relative to the rest of the county (Image: Getty)
Ex soldier Tom Reck, 76, who uses a path in a local churchyard to exercise his three-year-old poodle Jack, added: “I wouldn’t come here after dark, it’s just not safe.
“It’s a bit frightening even in the daytime with men drinking and shouting.”
Official figures show that Banbury is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Oxfordshire, and is the 21st most dangerous overall out of Oxfordshire’s 312 towns, villages, and cities.
The overall crime rate in Banbury in 2025 was 78 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Oxfordshire’s overall crime rate, coming in 45% higher than the Oxfordshire rate of 54 per 1,000 daytime population.
The most common crimes in Banbury are violence and sexual offences, with 2,309 crimes committed during 2025
A security guard, 44, who lives in the town, told the Daily Mail that a park at the centre of the town is a hotspot for sexual and violent offences.
He said: “We have a beautiful park but it’s where we get sex attacks, stabbings and drug dealing.
“The town police station is just around the corner but that makes no difference – Banbury has a bad crime problem right now.”
