The UK government sent the first bus with illegal boat migrants to the 4-star hotel “The Britannia” in Canary Wharf, one of the most expensive areas of London, last night. The large group of men arrived at the hotel at around 1:40 AM, under the cover of darkness. The group, reportedly all men dressed in matching grey tracksuits, was escorted by masked security guards, some wearing body cameras. This followed weeks of controversy, as the Home Office had designated the hotel, with over 500 rooms, as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers, at a cost of £81 per night per person. Protests outside started in front of Britannia Hotel on July 22 after rumors spread that hundreds of illegal migrants would be housed there. Metropolitan Police deployed dozens of officers, riot vans, and metal fencing to manage the unrest, which included eggs being thrown from nearby buildings. The Home Office, initially denying the hotel’s use for asylum seekers, later clarified it was reserved as an “overflow facility. Nearly 30 000 illegal boat migrants have arrived so far this year, a 50% increase compared to last year.