Asylum seekers face being removed from Epping hotel after council granted High Court injunction

A council has won its bid to temporarily block asylum seekers from being housed at a hotel in Essex.

Epping Forest District Council sought an interim High Court injunction to stop migrants from being accommodated at The Bell Hotel in Epping, which is owned by Somani Hotels Limited.

The interim injunction demanded that the hotel be cleared of its occupants within 14 days, but in his ruling on Tuesday, Mr Justice Eyre granted the temporary block, while extending the time limit by which it must stop housing asylum seekers to 12 September.

Somani Hotels said it intended to appeal the decision, its barrister, Piers Riley-Smith, arguing it would set a precedent that could affect "the wider strategy" of housing asylum seekers in hotels.

But the judge turned down the group's request, saying that he was "not persuaded there is such a compelling reason".

Somani could still ask the Court of Appeal for the go-ahead to appeal against the judgment.

Welcoming the judgment as "a ruling for common sense", the council's leader, councillor Chris Whitbread, told Sky News the hotel "should be empty".

He said: "We always knew the Bell Hotel was the wrong location because of its close proximity to schools and other parts of the community. It was never going to work out, and we did repeat that to them on several occasions."

Mr Whitbread said he had been "on the side of local people from day one" on the issue, but asked that anyone who wanted to continue to protest or demonstrate outside the hotel do so peacefully.

He added: "What we don't want is to have people thinking this is some great victory today."

Earlier, Mr Whitbread said the last few weeks have placed "an intolerable strain" on local people, but warned it was "not the end of the matter", as the council must now "return to the court and seek a permanent injunction".

Sex assault charge

Several protests have been held outside the hotel in recent weeks after an asylum seeker housed there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with trying to kiss a teenage girl and denies the allegations. He is due to stand trial later this month.

A government attempt to delay the application was rejected by the High Court judge earlier on Tuesday, Home Office barristers arguing the case had a "substantial impact" on the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, in performing her legal duties to asylum seekers.

Moving asylum seekers in "extremely short order" would cause a "very significant operational burden", Edward Brown KC, said.

But Mr Justice Eyre dismissed the Home Office's bid, stating that the department's involvement was "not necessary".

The judge said the hotel's owners "sidestepped the public scrutiny and explanation which would otherwise have taken place if an application for planning permission or for a certificate of lawful use had been made".

He added: "It was also deliberately taking the chance that its understanding of the legal position was incorrect. This is factor of particular weight in the circumstances of this case."

'Getting out of hand'

At a hearing last week, the council claimed Somani Hotels breached planning rules because the site is not being used for its intended purpose as a hotel.

Philip Coppel KC, for the council, said the problem was "getting out of hand" and "causing great anxiety" to local people.

He said the hotel "is no more a hotel [to asylum seekers] than a borstal to a young offender".

Piers Riley-Smith, for Somani Hotels Limited, said a "draconian" injunction would cause "hardship" for those in the hotel, arguing "political views" were not grounds for an injunction to be granted.

Asylum seekers a 'financial lifeline'

He also said contracts to house asylum seekers were a "financial lifeline" for the hotel, which was only 1% full in August 2022, when it was open to paying customers.

The hotel housed migrants from May 2020 to March 2021, then from October 2022 to April 2024, with the council never instigating any formal enforcement proceedings against this use, Mr Riley-Smith said.

They were being placed there again in April 2025 and Mr Riley-Smith said a planning application was not made "having taken advice from the Home Office".

At the end of the hearing last week, Mr Justice Eyre ordered that Somani Hotels could not "accept any new applications" from asylum seekers to stay at the site until he had made his ruling on the temporary injunction.

Reacting to Tuesday's judgment, border security minister Dame Angela Eagle said the government will "continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns".

She added: "Our work continues to close all asylum hotels by the end of this parliament."

'A victory for mums and dads'

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the outcome of the case "a victory for the mums and dads I spoke to in Epping who just want their children to be safe".

In a message posted on X, she said: "Putting a hotel full of young male illegal immigrants in the middle of a community like Epping was always going to lead to issues. They need to be moved out of the area immediately."

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Enver Solomon, chief executive of Refugee Council, said hotels "cost the taxpayer billions, trap people in limbo and are flashpoints in communities".

He urged ministers to "partner with local councils to provide safe, cost-effective accommodation within communities".

A further hearing on whether the injunction should be made permanent is expected to be held at a later date, and is expected to last two days.

(c) Sky News 2025: Asylum seekers face being removed from Epping hotel after council granted High Court injunctio