Epping Forest District Council has unanimously voted to demand the “immediate and permanent closure” of two asylum hotels in Essex, citing a “number of serious incidents” linked to the sites. Council leader Chris Whitbread said repeated warnings to the Home Office about the unsuitability of the Bell Hotel in Epping and the Phoenix Hotel in Bobbingworth had been ignored.
Recent incidents include the arrest and charge of a man for the alleged sexual assault of a schoolgirl, and another arrest for reported arson. Councillors expressed “grave concern that there is no transparency over who is being housed in these hotels, or what risk they may pose to the community”. The motion accused the Government of “reckless” actions that “have potentially endangered public safety”.
Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst also called for the hotels to be closed, writing to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to highlight the “unsustainability” of the locations. He said the presence of asylum seeker accommodation was “clearly creating community tension”, with large-scale protests disrupting local life and placing a burden on police resources.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper responded by acknowledging the “broken asylum and immigration system” inherited by the Government, noting progress in reducing hotel use by 6,000 asylum seekers in six months and increasing returns of failed asylum seekers by 28% since the election. However, she said it “takes time to tackle that broken system”.
Anti-migrant protests outside the Bell Hotel have escalated, with a dispersal order issued and the council’s offices closed early amid riot fears. Police confirmed 17 arrests so far, including one person for wearing a face covering. The demonstrations were sparked by the arrest of an Ethiopian asylum seeker accused of sexual assault, which he denies. Far-right groups, including the Homeland Party, have been accused of stoking tensions.
Counter-protests from Stand Up to Racism have also taken place. The head of the Police Federation, Tiff Lynch, warned that the disorder in Essex is a “signal flare” for more unrest, with officers likely to be diverted from neighbourhood duties to keep the peace at migrant protests this summer.
