The High Court granted a temporary injunction blocking migrants from being housed at The Bell Hotel in Essex, prompting planned relocations. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp called for immediate deportations of illegal migrants and suggested alternative sites such as former military bases or barges. The government pledged to end use of migrant hotels by 2029 through reducing small boat crossings and speeding asylum decisions. Home Office Minister Dan Jarvis declined to give specific alternative locations but said contingency options were being considered and that hotels were not a long-term solution. About 140 people must be moved by 12 September, and several councils are preparing legal action.
"There's likely to be a range of different arrangements in different parts of the country," he told the BBC. Jarvis said the government was "looking at contingency options" for housing those being moved out of The Bell Hotel, adding that ministers never thought hotels were "a long-term, sustainable solution". In June, ministers said the government was looking at buying tower blocks and former student accommodation to house migrants.
It comes after the High Court granted a council a temporary injunction to block migrants from being housed at The Bell Hotel in Essex. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp called for illegal migrants to be immediately deported but in the meantime he said alternative accommodation such as former military sites or barges should be used. The government has pledged to end the use of migrant hotels by 2029, by cutting small boat crossings and speeding up decisions on asylum claims.
But the High Court ruled about 140 asylum seekers must be moved out of the Bell Hotel by 12 September, giving the government limited time to secure alternative housing. Meanwhile, a number of councils across England are poised to follow Epping by taking legal action in an attempt to remove asylum seekers from their areas. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said all 12 councils controlled by his party will "do everything in their power to follow Epping's lead". He urged people concerned about the impact of asylum hotels in their area to protest peacefully to put pressure on their councillors to take action.
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