Anger over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers has been rising all summer, with protests across the country, some turning violent. Far-right groups have sought to exploit the issue, but the move away from hotels may be accelerated by planning law rather than political pressure.
Epping Forest district council became the first local authority to win an interim injunction blocking asylum seekers from being placed in a local hotel, leaving Home Office officials concerned. The ruling has been seized on by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who said his party's 12 councils would consider similar challenges and urged protests outside hotels.
The number of asylum seekers housed in hotels rose from about 1,200 in 2020 to over 55,000 in 2023, before falling to around 30,000. This increase stems from a 2003 ban on asylum seekers working, which legally obliges the government to provide accommodation for those who would otherwise be destitute.
If a string of councils succeed in closing hotels, the Home Office may have to find alternative housing for thousands at short notice, raising the politically explosive question of where they should go. The Epping Forest ruling requires 140 people to be moved out by 12 September unless successfully challenged.
