The Bell Hotel is a 79-room facility that began hosting asylum seekers in 2020.
The property was originally taken over by the Home Office during the pandemic as part of a nationwide effort to house illegal arrivals crossing the English Channel during COVID-19 lockdowns. The site became home to around 100 men, said to be from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Violence broke out among protesters near the hotel Sunday night after news spread that one of its residents had been charged in connection with multiple sex offenses. Ethiopian-born Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was remanded in custody last Thursday.
He faces three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and one count of harassment without violence. Kebatu, who denies the charges, allegedly committed the offenses just days after arriving in the UK by small boat on June 29.
The victims are reported to include two teenage girls and one woman, all approached on a busy local street.
Sunday’s unrest saw anti-migrant demonstrators and counter-protesters clash outside the hotel. Two security guards were injured in what Essex Police have called a racially motivated attack.
The incidents come after two separate arson cases. On May 7, Abdul Rahman, 36, was remanded in custody at Chelmsford Crown Court for allegedly starting fires at two local hotels, according to the Daily Mail.
One blaze caused serious damage to a different asylum seeker hotel; another ignited a ground-floor bedroom at The Bell. Authorities say Rahman had been moved between the two facilities.
Local backlash has intensified amid claims that the hotel was used without proper consultation with the community. Two area MPs have called for an urgent meeting with the Home Secretary, demanding the facility be closed immediately.
