Some councils are aiming to block hotels from housing asylum seekers, leaving the Government scrambling to find alternatives for thousands of people. Nigel Farage is seizing the moment – but is he easing pressure on the system, or stoking tensions?
The Government has promised to stop using asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament, but in the meantime it still needs places to house people.
Epping Forest District Council has been granted a temporary High Court injunction to block migrants from being accommodated at the town’s Bell Hotel.
And of course Nigel Farage sees an opportunity here, saying Reform-led councils would do “everything in their power to follow Epping’s lead.”
And a number of councils have already signalled they plan to do just that. In Hertfordshire, the Conservative-run Broxbourne Council said it was urgently seeking legal advice.
So we want to know if you think Farage is using this opportunity to stir up tensions. Let us know by taking our poll below.
The Bell Hotel in Epping has been the scene of violent clashes in recent weeks after a man staying there was charged with assaulting a 14-year-old girl – which he denies.
It means every asylum seeker at The Bell has to be moved, and to make matters worse for the Home Office, other councils are expected to follow suit, with around 30,000 people being housed in hotels. Nigel Farage has said 12 local authorities where Reform are the largest party will be weighing up legal challenges.
Is Nigel Farage stirring up tensions over asylum seekers? Take our poll below, and if you can’t see it click here
The Reform leader is being accused of inflaming tensions after he wrote: “Now the good people of Epping must inspire similar protests around Britain. Wherever people are concerned about the threat posed by young undocumented males living in local hotels and who are free to walk their streets, they should follow the example of the town in Essex.
“Let’s hold peaceful protests outside the migrant hotels, and put pressure on local councils to go to court to try and get the illegal immigrants out; we now know that together we can win.”
A Home Office source told the i newspaper that Farage is urging people to protest outside these hotels, saying: “The police have a legal responsibility to keep people safe and maintain public order. This will be at the expense of them going out fighting crime.”
On Thursday night, eight officers were injured during altercations between protesters and police, with those hurt sustaining injuries to their hands as well as cuts and grazes. A video circulating on social media on the same evening showed a police vehicle driving towards a number of protesters and appearing to collide with at least one person.
What do YOU think? Is Nigel Farage stirring up tensions over asylum seekers? Take our poll above and expand on your feelings in the comments below.