Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, has stated that all councils under their control will take strong measures to prevent the establishment of asylum hotels in their regions following the recent controversial ruling in Epping.
Government officials are preparing for potential legal disputes from various councils nationwide after the Essex local authority obtained a High Court order to remove asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel. The Home Office cautioned the court that such an order could impede its legal duties, while the hotel’s owner’s legal team argued that it could create a risky precedent, limiting options for emergency accommodation for migrants.
The unexpected ruling came after weeks of occasionally violent demonstrations outside the hotel, triggered by an incident where an individual from Afghanistan was accused of assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Farage, the head of Reform UK, has pledged that his party will oppose the use of hotels for asylum processing in areas controlled by their councils, with a Conservative council already committing to follow Epping Forest District Council’s example.
Various Tory and Reform councils and mayoral areas have indicated plans to address the issue of asylum seekers residing in local lodgings.
In a column for The Telegraph today, the leader of Reform UK encouraged peaceful protests outside migrant hotels and urged pressure on local councils to seek legal action to remove illegal immigrants.
Downing Street has announced intentions to relocate asylum seekers from hotels to alternative accommodations by the end of the current parliament. However, the recent ruling poses a challenge for the Home Office in the interim.
Security minister Dan Jarvis mentioned on Times Radio that contingency plans are being considered following the recent legal decision, emphasizing the need to explore available options.
Epping Forest council successfully argued that utilizing the Bell Hotel for asylum seekers was not a permitted use under planning regulations.
When asked about the planning permissions for other migrant hotels, Jarvis stated that it would be assessed in the coming days and weeks, with other local authorities possibly following Epping Forest’s approach. He stressed that hotels are not a sustainable solution for accommodating asylum seekers, aligning with the government’s commitment to phase out their use by the end of the current parliamentary term.
