Epping hotel controversy: 13 councils to jump on ruling to remove asylum seekers
Nigel Farage has claimed that all councils controlled by Reform UK will "do everything in their power" to block asylum hotels being set up in their areas after yesterday's controversial Epping ruling.
Ministers are bracing for further legal challenges from councils across the country after the Essex local authority won a High Court injunction to evict asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel. The Home Office had warned the judge that an injunction could "interfere" with its legal obligations, while lawyers representing the hotel's owner argued it would set a dangerous "precedent", leaving authorities with few options for providing emergency accommodation for migrants.
The shock ruling followed weeks of at-times violent protests outside the hotel, after a man from Afghanistan was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Now, the Reform UK leader has vowed his party would seek to block any hotels being used for asylum processing in the council areas it currently controls - and a Tory council has already pledged to follow Epping Forest council's lead.
Which councils are planning to block asylum seekers?
The following Tory and Reform councils and mayoral areas have indicated that they are going to take action over asylum seekers staying in local accommodation:
Broxbourne
Derbyshire
Doncaster
Durham
Greater Lincolnshire (mayoralty)
Hull & East Yorkshire (mayoralty)
Kent
Lancashire
Lincolnshire
North Northamptonshire
Nottinghamshire
Staffordshire
West Northamptonshire
What has Nigel Farage said?
In a column for the Telegraph this morning, the Reform UK leader urged people to 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".
He added: "I can say today that the English local councils controlled by the party I lead, Reform UK, will be doing everything in their power to follow Epping's lead."
What will the government do?
Number 10 has already announced plans to move asylum seekers from hotels into houses of multiple occupancy into other forms of accommodation by the end of this parliament - but the new ruling is likely to give the Home Office a headache as to what to do in the meantime.
Security minister Dan Jarvis told Times Radio today: "We're looking at a range of different contingency options following from a legal ruling that took place yesterday, and we'll look closely at what we're able to do."
Epping Forest council had successfully argued that the use of the Bell Hotel for asylum seekers was not a permitted use of the hotel for planning purposes.
Asked whether other migrant hotels have the proper planning permission, Mr Jarvis said: "Well, we'll see over the next few days and weeks. Other local authorities will be considering whether they wish to act in the same way that Epping (Forest) District Council have."I think the important point to make is that nobody really thinks that hotels are a sustainable location to accommodate asylum seekers. That's precisely why the Government has made a commitment that, by the end of this Parliament, we would have phased out the use of them."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
27 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Scotland takes on record levels of asylum seekers – amid calls for migrant hotel crackdown & protests loom
Glasgow's administration committee met to seek a solution to the mounting crisis 'BREAKING POINT' Scotland takes on record levels of asylum seekers – amid calls for migrant hotel crackdown & protests loom Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A RECORD number of asylum seekers are now staying in Scots hotels, it has been revealed. The Home Office said 6,107 people are bidding for refugee status, double the total a decade ago. And 1,573 are in taxpayer-funded hotels. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 A record number of asylum seekers are now staying in Scots hotels Credit: Andrew Barr 7 Susan Aitken told how a 'rainy day' fund used to cope with the surge had now run dry Credit: Les Gallagher 7 Council chiefs in Scotland's biggest city admit they're buckling under the pressure Credit: PA 7 Hampton by Hilton in Westhill now caters for refugees whose claims are being assessed Credit: Newsline Media Council chiefs in Scotland's biggest city admit they're buckling under the pressure of being the UK's asylum seeker capital — and have begged for extra funding. Residents in Glasgow face council tax rises and cuts to public services to plug a £60million budget shortfall as they struggle to accommodate a surge of new refugees. Home Office figures released show asylum applications across the UK in the 12 months to this June hit an all-time high of 111,084. And 3,884 of them were seeking permission to remain in Glasgow, far outstripping the likes of Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester. The stats sparked concern the city is now a magnet for migrants who gain refugee status down south and are then kicked out of their accommodation. Susan Aitken, leader of the SNP-run council, told how a 'rainy day' fund used to cope with the surge for two years had now run dry. Now senior figures are demanding extra support from both Holyrood and Westminster. Ms Aitken said: 'Glasgow is not only dealing with demand from the UK's largest dispersed population by far but a sizeable number of additional refugees who can't access support elsewhere in the UK.' She added: 'There are people out there who'd seek to exploit this, and indeed are. We see this happening in our communities in front of us.' Glasgow's administration committee met today to seek a solution to the mounting crisis. Migrants to be kicked out of hotel at centre of protests in landmark ruling after asylum seeker's 'sex attack' A source said the local authority will have little option but to raise tax and cut public services to meet a shortfall of more than £60million if the Home Office and Scottish Government do not step in. Deputy leader Ricky Bell said: 'If we don't have a solution, we are facing a very, very difficult budget position for next February.' And chief exec Susanne Millar, who is pleading for Home Office help, said: 'About 94 per cent of the asylum seekers in Scotland are accommodated in Glasgow.' But the threat of cuts to services was slammed by opposition politicians. Tory MSP Annie Wells said: 'SNP councillors in Glasgow need to accept reality. 7 Tory MSP Annie Wells said SNP councillors in Glasgow "need to accept reality" Credit: Getty 7 The Cladhan Hotel in Falkirk was the scene of recent protests Credit: Andrew Barr 7 Protesters from Save Our Future & Our Kids Future demonstrate against uncontrolled immigration Credit: Getty 'Their cash-strapped authority cannot afford to continue with this increasingly expensive policy. 'Citizens are fed up with pothole-plagued roads and filthy streets. They don't want to pay even more in council tax, to get less in return. 'This is after a housing emergency was declared in the city more than 18 months ago.' Ex-Tory councillor Thomas Kerr, who defected in January to Reform UK, hit out: 'Enough is enough. 'Glasgow is at breaking point, the numbers prove it. SNP and Labour have sold out our own people and put others first time and again.' The city received 1,050 homeless applications in 2024/25 from migrants granted leave to remain in the UK. That was up 51 per cent on the previous year. There are now 4,386 mostly migrant households in temporary homeless accommodation in Glasgow, with 1,850 of them in bed and breakfast or hotel accommodation. Elsewhere in the UK, new refugees have 56 days to leave asylum pads if they can't secure onwards lodgings. But many are encouraged to head north by a Scottish Government pledge to accommodate all homeless people. Top 10 UK Councils for Asylum Seekers Source: Home Office figures for June 2025 Glasgow - 3,844 Birmingham - 2,755 Hillingdon - 2,481 Liverpool - 2,361 Manchester - 1,997 Hounslow - 1,775 Belfast - 1,760 Coventry - 1,733 Sandwell - 1,671 Leeds - 1,659 Across Scotland, the number of asylum seekers in taxpayer-funded hotels hit a record 1,573. They have rooms in 10 local authority areas. Those bidding for refugee status have doubled in a decade to 6,107. The three-star Hampton by Hilton in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, now caters exclusively for refugees whose claims are being assessed. One local said: 'We were never consulted on this. It's all men and they stick out as it's a small town.' Plans to change the hotel's use were shrouded in secrecy before the new guests moved in two years ago. It emerged up to 173 males aged 18 to 40 would be put up there. Another town resident said: 'I think if we had any choice in the matter then the community would have rejected this.' In nearby Aberdeen, what was once the city's only beachfront hotel now houses only migrants. The former Doubletree by Hilton has been the site of several protests in recent months. But one local said: 'It has made me feel sorry for the guys. They are not causing anyone any bother.' In Edinburgh's posh west end, residents have voiced concerns over a range of issues at the 62-bed Learmonth Hotel, which is currently used to house asylum seekers. One man, who didn't want to be named, said there should be more communication from operator Mears. He added: 'It can be quite intimidating walking past when there are 20 or 30 young men standing outside having cigarettes. 'There's a lot of litter and a lot of drinking now, unfortunately.' A UK Government spokeswoman said: 'We are working to make sure individuals have the support they need following an asylum decision to help local authorities better plan their assistance with homelessness. 'We have doubled the move-on period to 56 days and mobilised liaison officers to support asylum seekers in Glasgow.' And a spokesman for the Scottish Government said: 'UK Government decisions about the asylum system are creating significant pressures across the UK. We support the call from Glasgow City Council for them to provide adequate funding to support newly recognised refugees and communities."
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Hotels braced for a wave of protests: Up to 30 targeted as residents turn up heat to follow Epping precedent
A wave of protests are set to sweep the country this weekend targeting migrant hotels. Anti-immigration campaigners are looking to ride on the back of this week's landmark judgment that saw the High Court order the removal of migrants from a hotel in Epping, Essex. Protests at up to 30 hotels are believed to be planned as communities seek to replicate the ruling for The Bell Hotel, which, pending an appeal, must be closed within weeks. The hotel had been at the centre of protests after an asylum seeker living there was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl, which he denies. Hotels in Cannock, Chichester and Tamworth are among those expected to be targeted by demonstrations, with anti-racism groups already organising counter-protests in 15 locations across the three-day Bank Holiday weekend. They are prepared to turn up tonight in the likes of Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Leicester, Leeds, Orpington, Perth, Aberdeen and Altrincham. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has used Epping as a rallying cry, saying: 'Let's hold peaceful protests outside hotels and put pressure on councils to go to court to try to get illegal immigrants out.' On Tuesday, a judge granted a temporary injunction against migrants being housed at The Bell Hotel after Epping Forest council argued that it was necessary for 'the safety of nearby residents' and to reduce the threat of 'violent protests'. As it tried, unsuccessfully, to intervene in the case at the eleventh hour, the Home Office argued that granting Epping's application 'runs the risk of acting as an impetus for further violent protests'. The ruling threatens to collapse Labour's asylum system as protesters take to the streets and councils across the country prepare to hit the Home Office with copycat litigation over the use of hotels in their areas. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has written to all Conservative councils pledging support for any legal action, while Reform UK's leaders have encouraged people to protest at their local asylum hotels. But anti-racism groups have warned the ruling sets a 'dangerous precedent', with Stand Up To Racism saying that it will 'embolden the far-Right to call more protests outside hotels housing refugees'. Labour grandee Lord Falconer urged the Home Office to appeal against the Epping judgment on Thursday as he admitted the ruling 'causes great problems' for the Government. The peer, who served as justice secretary under Sir Tony Blair and as Sir Keir Starmer's shadow attorney general, said it 'gives rise to the expectation that some asylum hotels can be closed'. Lord Falconer said the ruling presents Labour with a 'very troublesome issue, namely does demonstrations outside these hotels lead to it being more likely that they will be closed'. Urging the Government 'very strongly' to appeal, he told Radio 4's Today programme: 'It puts the courts and the politicians in a difficult position. 'There should be clarity on that and the authority in relation to that can only come from the Court of Appeal.' The Home Office still could not say whether or not it plans to appeal on Thursday. But pressure was mounting on the Government as all Tory councillors were sent a draft motion, produced by the Conservative Research Department and the Conservative Councillors' Association, 'strongly urging' them to follow Epping's example. It included instructions on how to influence their local authorities. Stevenage became the latest Labour-run council to say it would consider taking legal action over an asylum hotel in the Hertfordshire borough as the internal revolt grew. The council had already warned a Novotel hotel it must stop housing asylum seekers or face planning enforcement action, and on Thursday said it was 'actively investigating alleged breaches' as it considered legal action similar to Epping's. Ministers were scrambling to find contingency plans to house migrants, with officials looking at houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), empty tower blocks, disused teacher training colleges and old student accommodation as alternatives. The asylum minister, Dame Angela Eagle, told the Commons home affairs committee in June that the Government had shifted its focus from old military barracks to smaller locations such as tower blocks. However, the Guardian reported officials are still considering placing people removed from hotels in the RAF Wethersfield base in Essex and Napier Barracks in Kent. Meanwhile, it was also reported that asylum accommodation contractors working for the Home Office have contacted property specialists, seeking 5,000 residential units in towns and cities to house migrants. But a Government minister could not answer when quizzed on where asylum seekers should go instead of hotels on Thursday. Asked 'where will they go?', schools minister Catherine McKinnell said: 'Well, I mean, that's a big question.'
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Number of foreign nationals arriving on work visas falls by nearly a half
Some 834,977 entry visas were issued in the year to June 2025 across these categories, down nearly a third (32%) from 1.23 million in the previous 12 months, according to new Home Office data. The figures for work-related visas have nearly halved over this period, falling 48% from 545,855 to 286,071. There were smaller drops in the number of study visas, down 18% from 530,312 to 435,891, and for family visas, down 15% from 83,912 to 70,961. Among the resettlement categories, 14,216 visas were issued under the Ukraine schemes (down 48% year on year), 11,804 were granted to British National Overseas status holders from Hong Kong (down 47%), and 9,357 were under the EU Settlement Scheme (down 34%). In addition, 3,640 were for dependants joining or accompanying others and 3,037 were under other settlement schemes. The overall total of 834,977 visas is the lowest for any 12-month period since the year to September 2021, when the figure stood at 802,415. The drop is likely to reflect changes in legal migration rules introduced early last year by the previous Conservative government, which included restricting the ability of most international students to bring family members with them to the UK, as well as banning overseas care workers from bringing dependants. Visas issued for health and care workers and their families have tumbled from 267,348 in the year to June 2024 to 61,901 in the 12 months to this June, a fall of 77%. The number of student dependants saw an even larger percentage drop, down 81% year on year from 94,204 to 17,804. Dr Ben Brindle, researcher at the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, said: 'The sharp fall in visas was possible because migration to the UK had previously been so high. 'It's possible we'll see further declines in the coming months – though probably smaller ones – as the data catches up with more recent restrictions like the closure of the care worker route to overseas recruitment.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government was 'bringing legal migration back under control', with 'stronger visa controls and higher skill requirements introduced through our White Paper expected to bring those overall numbers down further.'
