UK Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Stay in Epping Hotel

The UK Court of Appeal overturned a High Court injunction that would have forced the eviction of more than 130 asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, allowing the government to continue housing asylum seekers there. The initial injunction, granted by the High Court, was based on planning permission concerns and was influenced by local protests, some of which were violent and orchestrated by far-right extremists. However, the Court of Appeal ruled that the injunction was flawed and that closing one site would simply shift the housing need elsewhere, potentially encouraging similar legal actions and disorder in other councils. The judges emphasized the Home Office’s constitutional role in public safety and accommodation, noting that the injunction’s potential cumulative impact was not properly considered by the lower court. This decision supports the government’s obligation to provide accommodation amid rising asylum seeker arrivals via small boats across the English Channel. The ruling also highlighted concerns that enforcing such injunctions could incentivize further protests and lawlessness around asylum accommodation.