Migrant Hotel Chaos as Councils Consider Legal Action to Ban Asylum Seekers

Published: 20 August 2025 | The English Chronicle Desk

Tensions over the housing of asylum seekers in hotels have escalated after Epping Forest District Council was granted a temporary High Court injunction preventing migrants from being accommodated at The Bell Hotel. The council argued that the hotel had become a “feeding ground for unrest,” citing a series of recent violent protests that resulted in multiple arrests and injuries to police officers.

The ruling could trigger further legal challenges, with ministers warned that other local authorities may follow Epping’s example. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper reportedly attempted to halt the removal of asylum seekers at the last minute, arguing that similar applications could be made by councils across the country.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage welcomed the decision as a “victory” and suggested that the 12 councils where his party holds significant influence could pursue legal challenges to block asylum accommodation locally. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said local authorities would do “everything in their power to follow Epping’s lead.”

Conservative-run Broxbourne Borough Council announced it was considering legal action to prevent asylum seekers being housed in a four-star hotel in Hertfordshire, stating that it would “take legal advice as a matter of urgency.” Meanwhile, South Norfolk District Council, which covers Diss where a hotel hosting asylum seekers has faced protests, said it would not seek an injunction, instead focusing on ensuring families rather than single adult males are accommodated in the area. Council leader Daniel Elmer said that converting hotels into hostels for single adults should require a planning change of use.

The Home Office warned that an injunction in Epping could “interfere” with its legal obligations, while the hotel owner’s lawyers argued the ruling could set a precedent. The Bell Hotel has been at the centre of controversy after an asylum seeker staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

Public reactions have been strong, with Mr Farage stating that “young, undocumented males who break into the UK illegally should NOT be free to walk the streets anywhere” and calling for their detention and deportation. Conservative figures, including Kemi Badenoch and Chris Philp, have also urged swift relocation of migrants from areas facing unrest and emphasised residents’ right to safety and objection when communities feel targeted by government housing policies.

The ruling has heightened national debate over the balance between accommodating asylum seekers and addressing local community concerns, highlighting the complexities facing ministers and councils as the UK continues to manage migration pressures.