Epping Residents Refuse Council Tax After Court Allows Migrant Hotel Stay

Residents of Epping, Essex, are vowing to withhold their council tax payments in protest after a Court of Appeal overturned a High Court injunction that would have required the removal of 138 migrants from the Bell Hotel, which is being used to house asylum seekers. The decision followed allegations that an Ethiopian asylum seeker at the hotel was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, sparking nationwide protests and significant local unrest. Many locals expressed feeling vulnerable and outraged that their council tax is funding the hotel, police, and associated costs, with some residents willing to face imprisonment rather than continue payments. The Home Office successfully argued that the human rights of the migrants, under the European Convention on Human Rights, take precedence over local safety concerns, intensifying tensions. The Epping Forest District Council is considering appealing to the Supreme Court, while the situation has reignited broader debates about asylum accommodation policies across the UK. This dispute highlights a growing breakdown in trust between affected communities and government authorities regarding immigration and public safety.