Councils across England are poised to take legal action to remove asylum seekers from hotels in their areas.
It follows the High Court granting a district council a temporary injunction to block asylum seekers from lodging at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.
All 12 councils controlled by Reform UK will “do everything in their power to follow Epping’s lead”, the party’s leader Nigel Farage said. “A Conservative-run council in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, also said it is considering taking similar action.”
Border Security Minister Dame Angela Eagle said the government will “continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns”.
Farage urged people “concerned about the threat posed by young undocumented males living in local hotels” to “follow the example of the town in Essex” in peaceful protest.
The judge in the case ruled in favour of Epping Forest District Council after it argued that the hotel had become a public safety risk because of its alleged planning law breach by ceasing to be a true hotel.
The case returns in October, when a judge will have to decide whether The Bell Hotel has unlawfully changed how it is being used.
Dan Jarvis, Minister of State for Security, said he “had “never thought that hotels were an appropriate source of accommodation for asylum seekers.”
When asked where the asylum seekers at The Bell Hotel would be moved to, he added the government was “looking at options” to rehouse them in “suitably appropriate alternative accommodation.”
He said it was up to local councils to decide on whether to pursue similar legal action, but stressed that there were “quite specific circumstances” in the Epping case.
“The basis of the legal case was around a planning matter,” he added.
The case brought by Epping Forest was that the alleged planning breach had led to evidenced harms. Critically, these harms related to protests which had led to violence and arrests.
For other councils to follow suit they would have to show the High Court evidence of local harm.
