Residents of a picturesque village near Windsor have expressed outrage after asylum seekers were housed in a four-star hotel.
Locals claim the Manor Hotel in Datchet, once a boutique establishment, is now home to migrants who allegedly shout "Allah, Allah" and "Muslim is good" at villagers.
The asylum seekers, reportedly from Pakistan and Afghanistan, have been accused of committing acts of racism and theft since being accommodated at taxpayers' expense.
A local shopkeeper, Abhi, 24, who came to the UK from India years ago, claims he faces abuse from some of the asylum seekers.
Datchet Town Centre in Berkshire
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"They abuse me because I'm from India and I'm Hindu," he told The Times.
"They come in and shout 'Muslim is good, Allah Allah'. They come in and say, 'Indians are not good, f*** Hinduism'. It's f***ing bad."
Abhi also alleged theft issues, saying: "They're always coming in, taking food, [they] don't pay. I personally hate it."
Jack Rankin, the 32-year-old Conservative MP representing Windsor, said the village received just 24 hours' notice before asylum seekers arrived last November.
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Windsor MP Jack Rankin will be leading a debate later in the week
GB News"There shouldn't be 70 unvetted asylum seekers who are young single men in a little quaint village in England," Rankin told The Times. He demonstrated the impact on GP waiting lists and village social cohesion to secure the closure.
David Buckley, an independent councillor who represents Datchet and chairs the parish council, offered a more measured assessment of the situation.
He stated there was "no evidence of any impact on crime or antisocial behaviour" from the asylum seekers. However, he acknowledged their presence had caused "a lot of anxiety in the village."
"It's made the community nervous but not had a direct impact other than young men walking around," he told The Times.
The Manor Hotel in Berkshire
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Tony Dixon, a construction developer and ten-year Datchet resident, expressed serious concerns about safety.
"A few of them were caught filming children at the school. They're from a completely different culture but we don't feel safe any more," he told The Times.
He claimed mothers are now leaving work early to collect their children rather than allowing them to walk home alone.
"When a group of ten of them are walking around in groups, it's not pleasant for the local community. They're also walking around at two and three in the morning...It's just a shame because they're ruining a village where everyone feels safe."
Residents said the asylum seekers are 'ruining the village'
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A teenage girl who requested anonymity told The Times she felt intimidated during winter months when men from the hotel gathered in groups opposite her workplace. She specifically mentioned feeling uncomfortable when it was dark and the men stood around in groups.
"One of them even barked at me," she said.
A Home Office spokesman said: "We are delivering on our pledge to close asylum hotels, which will drastically reduce taxpayer costs and give control back to local communities.
"The asylum system ground to a standstill under the last government, but we are reversing that damage by fixing the foundations of our immigration system. We have increased asylum decision-making by 52 per cent in the last three months of 2024 and removed more than 24,000 people with no right to be here."
