Government of the UK endeavors to reverse hotel lodging restriction for migrants
In the heart of northeast London, the Bell Hotel has been a centre of controversy since July, when flashpoint protests erupted due to an alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl by an asylum seeker residing there. However, the details of the incident have not been discussed in this article.
Since 2020, the Bell Hotel has been used to house migrants, a practice that has been ongoing until 2024. This is in line with the government's legal obligation to provide temporary accommodation for "all destitute asylum seekers whilst their asylum claims are being decided" under a 1999 law.
The protests at the Bell Hotel spread to other parts of the country, leading to legal action by Epping Forest district council against the ministry. The council argued that the hotel had become a risk to public safety and breached planning laws. However, the details of this legal action have not been mentioned in this article.
The government is seeking to overturn a High Court injunction that gave authorities until September 12 to remove migrants from the hotel. The Home Office official has warned that granting the interim injunction could set a precedent that would negatively impact the Secretary of State's ability to house vulnerable people.
The loss of 152 spaces at the Bell Hotel would be "significant" for the pool of available rooms, according to a government official. The number of asylum seekers housed temporarily in UK hotels has not been specified in the available sources.
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom has already issued an interim injunction to close the migrant hotel in Epping after protests and legal challenges. The exact date of the final ruling on overturning the Home Office's order regarding the removal of asylum seekers from UK hotels has not been specified in the available sources as of 2025.
Labour, the ruling party, has pledged to end the use of hotels for asylum seekers before the next election, likely in 2029, in a bid to save billions of pounds. Nigel Farage, an anti-immigration firebrand, has indicated councils run by his upstart Reform UK party would pursue similar legal moves.
Moreover, other councils have vowed to take similar action, potentially causing problems for the government. The ruling is a political and logistical blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government.
The case is currently being heard by three senior Appeal court judges, who will make their ruling on the issue at 2:00 pm (1300 GMT) on Friday. The outcome of this ruling could have far-reaching implications for the government's asylum seeker accommodation policy.
