UK court orders Epping hotel to continue housing asylum seekers

The High Court has ruled that asylum seekers can continue to be accommodated at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, following the dismissal of a legal challenge by the Epping Forest District Council.

The council had sought to evict migrants from the hotel, arguing that its owner, Somani Hotels, breached planning regulations by using the premises for temporary asylum housing.

However, in a ruling on Tuesday, Mr Justice Mould rejected the council’s request for an injunction, describing it as “not an appropriate means of enforcing planning control.”

The case had drawn national attention after protests erupted outside the hotel during the summer.

Demonstrations followed the arrest of one asylum seeker residing at the premises, who was later jailed for sexual offences.

While the judge acknowledged that the criminal behaviour of a small number of refugees had heightened fear among local residents, he ruled there was no evidence of “flagrant or persistent abuse” of planning laws by the hotel’s owners.

Mr Justice Mould also cited the continuing need for accommodation for asylum seekers awaiting decisions on their claims, stressing that the arrangement allowed the Home Secretary to meet statutory housing obligations.

The decision marks a significant setback for the council, which had argued that the use of the hotel as a migrant facility had altered its lawful planning use and caused public concern.

The Home Office has not commented on the ruling, but sources indicated that refugees will remain at the hotel while their cases are processed.

Read also: Anti-migrant protests erupt across UK over asylum hotels