Britain’s Home Office will appeal the High Court decision to prevent asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel, Epping.
A key government concern is that the earlier decision, which stipulates that migrants will need to vacate the premises by September 12, will set a wider legal precedent. The earlier decision ruled in favour of the local council, which argued that owners Somani Hotels Limited conducted an unauthorised ‘change of use’ under English planning laws when they replaced regular paying guests with publicly funded migrants.
Security minister Dan Jarvis announced the intentions of the Home Office, which will oppose the temporary injunction forcing the closure of the controversial Essex hotel. He described the action—formally led by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who is currently interrailing around Europe—as an attempt to ensure the closure of asylum hotels was run in an orderly fashion.
Local concern about the Bell Hotel increased when a ‘small boat’ migrant from Ethiopia was arrested and charged with multiple sexual assaults on a minor. Britain now houses more than 32,000 asylum seekers in more than 200 hotels, with a growing number of local authorities seeking to challenge this.
