At least a dozen councils in England are preparing legal action to remove asylum seekers from hotels following a landmark High Court ruling in favor of Epping Forest District Council.
The case centered on The Bell Hotel in North London, which has housed around 140 undocumented migrants awaiting asylum decisions.
The judge agreed with the council’s argument that the hotel no longer operated as a genuine business and posed public safety risks.
The ruling comes after protests in Epping in July, sparked by the arrest of a migrant from the hotel accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, a charge he denies.
The case has fueled political debate, with Reform UK and some Conservative lawmakers making opposition to “migrant hotels” a central issue.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage vowed that all 12 of his party-controlled councils would follow Epping’s example, while a Conservative council in Broxbourne signaled it was weighing similar action.
The court has ordered residents of The Bell to be moved out by September 12.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis told the BBC the government was exploring “suitably appropriate alternative accommodation” but did not specify where the migrants would be relocated.
The UK faces a mounting asylum crisis, with the number of people entitled to government housing rising to 103,000 in March—more than double the figure three years ago.
Roughly one-third are currently placed in hotels.
