The UK government secured a court ruling on Friday allowing asylum seekers to remain in a hotel where a resident had been charged with sexual assault, a decision likely to spark fresh protests and criticism from opponents.
Immigration has emerged as Britain’s most contentious political issue, surpassing concerns over a slowing economy, as the country contends with record asylum claims and thousands of migrants arriving in small boats across the Channel, including over 28,000 this year.
Last week, London’s High Court issued an injunction to halt the housing of asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, around 20 miles northeast of London. The hotel had become a flashpoint for violent demonstrations following charges against an Ethiopian asylum seeker living there.
On Friday, however, the Court of Appeal overturned the ruling on planning grounds, lifting the temporary injunction that would have forced the eviction of asylum seekers.
While the victory removes the immediate challenge of widespread hotel closures, it exposes Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his ministers to criticism from opposition parties, accusing them of prioritising asylum seekers over local residents’ safety concerns.
“Keir Starmer has shown that he puts the rights of illegal immigrants above the rights of British people who just want to feel safe in their towns and communities,” said Kemi Badenoch, leader of the main opposition Conservative Party.
The government argued that enforcing the injunction could trigger further protests nationwide, pressuring authorities to close hotels urgently and straining the system housing asylum seekers awaiting decisions on their cases.
David Bean, one of the three appeal court judges, noted that granting injunctions in response to protests—even unlawful ones—could encourage similar actions in the future, creating “a risk of encouraging further lawlessness.”
Angela Eagle, minister for asylum, emphasised the cost and chaos of the UK’s asylum accommodation system: “We inherited a chaotic asylum accommodation system costing billions. We appealed this judgment so hotels like the Bell can be exited in a controlled and orderly way that avoids the chaos of recent years that saw 400 hotels open at a cost of 9 million pounds a day.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
Follow us on:
