Security Minister Dan Jarvis confirmed the Government intends to appeal a high court ruling ordering the Bell Hotel in Epping to close to asylum seekers – saying hotels must be closed in a ‘managed’ way
The Home Office will fight a High Court ruling that an asylum hotel in Epping must be closed to migrants, it has been confirmed.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the Government will appeal against the landmark order, which has ramped up pressure on Keir Starmer. On Tuesday Epping Forest District Council won its legal action demanding a temporary injunction following weeks of tension.
The ruling is likely to lead to a wave of similar legal challenges over asylum hotels across the country. Mr Jarvis insisted the Government is committed to shutting them all down, having inherited a mess from the Tories. But he said this must be done in a “managed” way, with just over 32,000 migrants being housed in hotels.
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He told broadcasters: “This Government will close all asylum hotels and we will clear up the mess that we inherited from the previous government. We’ve made a commitment that we will close all of the asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament, but we need to do that in a managed and ordered way.
“And that’s why we’ll appeal this decision.” Follwing the High Court decision, asylum seekers have to move out of the Bell Hotel by September 12.
The venue has been the site scene of ugly clashes after a man staying there was arrested and charged on suspicion of assaulting a 14-year-old girl. The Home Office had warned that granting the injunction would lead to a “substantial impact” on the ability to house asylum seekers in hotels.
By law the Government has to provide accomodation to destitute people while their applications are processed. Since the injunction was granted, councils across the country controlled by Labour, the Conservatives and Reform UK are investigating whether they could also pursue legal challenges against asylum hotels.
A wave of protests outside hotels used to temporarily house asylum seekers is expected in the coming days. Reform leader Nigel Farage was accused of stoking tensions by saying he hoped demonstrations in the Essex town – which saw violent clashes outside the hotel in recent weeks – would “inspire similar protests around Britain”.
He was accused of “preying on people’s anger, fear and desperation” to divide communities after calling for people to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations.
Data released by the Home Office reveals that 32,059 migrants were being housed temporarily in UK hotels at the end of Labour’s first year in Government. This is down from 32,345 three months earlier – but up from 29,585 at the same point 12 months ago.
The latest figure is 43% lower than the peak under Rishi Sunak, however. For the first time in four years, the asylum applications backlog has fallen below 100,000 people. It now stands at just over 70,000 cases, relating to almost 91,000 people – down by 18% from a year earlier and its lowest since September 2021.
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