Epping Forest District Council has secured an interim injunction from the High Court preventing asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in Essex, following weeks of protests. The ruling, granted by Mr Justice Eyre on Tuesday, requires the hotel's owner, Somani Hotels, to cease accommodating asylum seekers by 12 September.
The hotel became a flashpoint for far-right demonstrations after an asylum seeker was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu denies the charges and is due to stand trial later this month. A second resident, Syrian national Mohammed Sharwarq, faces separate charges, while several men have been charged over disorder outside the hotel.
Home Office lawyers warned the court that the decision could 'substantially impact' the government's ability to house asylum seekers in hotels nationwide. Border security minister Angela Eagle said the government would 'carefully consider' the judgment. The Home Office, which relies on around 200 hotels for 30,000 asylum seekers, admitted the ruling had left the department 'reeling'.
Council leader Chris Whitbread welcomed the decision, calling it 'great news for our residents'. He added that the council would seek a permanent injunction. The council argued that planning laws were breached by changing the site's use, and cited disruption from protests as well as safety concerns for asylum seekers.
Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon described the use of hotels as 'completely unsustainable' and urged the government to partner with local councils for safe accommodation. He called for faster asylum decision-making to end reliance on hotels, which Labour has pledged to do by 2029.
Labour's asylum plans face uncertainty as other councils may mount similar legal challenges. The Home Office had declined to intervene in the case, with the judge ruling that a last-minute application from the home secretary was unnecessary.
