Picture courtesy BBC | PA Media

 

The government has successfully overturned a High Court ruling that would have required 138 asylum seekers to leave the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex. The Court of Appeal found the previous decision "seriously flawed", citing the difficulty of relocating the migrants from the site.

 

Epping Forest District Council, responsible for the initial injunction, is contemplating taking the case to the Supreme Court. The council argues that Somani Hotels breached planning rules by using the hotel as asylum accommodation. However, Lord Justice Bean emphasised the challenge of finding alternative facilities during his ruling.

 

Protests erupted outside the Bell Hotel following the latest judgement, with anti-immigration demonstrators displaying Union Jack and St George's flags. The tensions escalated, resulting in 25 arrests and 16 charges related to the disorder. The protests were spurred by the arrest of an Ethiopian asylum seeker, who is facing charges including sexual assault but denies the allegations.

 

The decision has sparked political debate, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticising the ruling for prioritising "illegal immigrants" over British citizens. Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused the government of using European human rights laws against the local populace. However, the government downplayed the influence of European human rights law in the case.

 

Refugee charity Care4Calais praised the outcome, stating it sends a clear message that violent protests cannot undermine asylum seekers' rights. Discussions continue about the long-term strategy for accommodating those seeking refuge, reported the BBC.

 

A full High Court hearing on a permanent injunction for the Bell Hotel is scheduled for mid-October. Until then, the government plans to phase out hotel use for asylum seekers by the end of the current Parliament, according to Border Security and Asylum Minister Dame Angela Eagle.

 

The issue highlights the ongoing complexities surrounding asylum accommodation and community tensions, as well as the legal battles faced by government and local councils alike.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC 2025-08-30

 

Amusing - Lord Justice Bean!

 

One time treasurer of The Society of Labour Lawyers, which describes itself as an " affiliated socialist society", and a founding member of Matrix Chambers, close friend and former colleague of the (unelected) Attorney General Lord Harmer. An impeccable pedigree!

 

I'm sure it was purely coincidental that he was the one who just happened to hear the appeal!

 

"Protests erupted outside the Bell Hotel following the latest judgement, with anti-immigration demonstrators displaying Union Jack and St George's flags. The tensions escalated, resulting in 25 arrests and 16 charges related to the disorder. The protests were spurred by the arrest of an Ethiopian asylum seeker, who is facing charges including sexual assault but denies the allegations."

 

Perhaps time for another clear out of our prisons to make room?

The Labour party promised before the elcetion last year they would stop the use of Hotels for lying illegal invading riff raff, now they go to court to be able to continue this very expensive misuse of public money.

2 hours ago, proton said:

The Labour party promised before the elcetion last year they would stop the use of Hotels for lying illegal invading riff raff, now they go to court to be able to continue this very expensive misuse of public money.

They promised to stop using hotels by the end of this Parliament, 4 years from now.

 

Epping resident says protests are 'absolute hell'

 

An Epping resident has said her children have been unable to play in their garden this summer because of drunk protesters urinating on trees.

 

The concerned mother, who lives opposite the Bell Hotel said the twice-a-week demos were ‘absolute hell’ and noisy chants were making it impossible to get her baby to sleep at night.

 

‘It just doesn’t represent Epping and the people that live here.’

 

 

The mum said it was ironic that protesters were making her family’s life a misery while claiming to be campaigning to protect women and children from supposedly dangerous migrants.

St. George , by the way, was not from England, but is believed to have been born in Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey or Syria) in the 3rd century. 

 

 

 

"Refugee charity Care4Calais praised the outcome, stating it sends a clear message that violent protests cannot undermine asylum seekers' rights."

 

It would seem the so called 'asylum seekers' have more right s than the locals?

Starmer has the lefty judges in his pocket and he is using them to continue his assault on Britain and the British people. 

 

Putting the needs of illegal immigrants above the safety of the British people. 

 

Shameful.

 

On 8/30/2025 at 12:21 PM, proton said:

The Labour party promised before the elcetion last year they would stop the use of Hotels for lying illegal invading riff raff, now they go to court to be able to continue this very expensive misuse of public money.

They promised to stop using hotels by 2029.  First, they have to sort out the huge backlog of claims (left by the Tories!).

30 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

They promised to stop using hotels by 2029. 

 

The same year they will be replaced by Reform.

 

How convenient. 

 

I'm guessing Labour will be promising a lot of things by 2029. Around the middle of August would be my best bet.

3 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

The same year they will be replaced by Reform.

 

How convenient. 

 

I'm guessing Labour will be promising a lot of things by 2029. Around the middle of August would be my best bet.

You don’t need to guess Jonny, just read the Labour Manifesto.

 

Meanwhile Farage and his Reform clowns are making unfounded promises running into tens of £Billions.

 

Easy promises made with easy money.

 

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You don’t need to guess Jonny, just read the Labour Manifesto.

 

That became obselete the moment they were elected.

 

Lies, lies and more lies. 

Many on here don't understand the true nature of our problems regarding illegals arriving and thats what they are illegals arriving. Starmer is not interested and leave's it to his lackeys to stand up infront of a Camera to defend there policy. All they say is "its not our fault we inhereted the problem from the previouse Government" or we are reducing the numbers in hotels by closing them all in our Parliments Tenure. They don't even know how many have arrived and don't know where they come from. Starmer is well aware the uk have no more trust in him and want him gone and replaced by Reform. He will try and discredit the nation to turn on Farage but and this is the but, its what we want the uk people want now not in three years time. Which members on here believe Starmer is trustworthy and able to stop the Boats and end illegal migration, or Reform's mandate to remove all illegals now or those entering the UK.

15 minutes ago, BarraMarra said:

Many on here don't understand the true nature of our problems regarding illegals arriving and thats what they are illegals arriving. Starmer is not interested and leave's it to his lackeys to stand up infront of a Camera to defend there policy. All they say is "its not our fault we inhereted the problem from the previouse Government" or we are reducing the numbers in hotels by closing them all in our Parliments Tenure. They don't even know how many have arrived and don't know where they come from. Starmer is well aware the uk have no more trust in him and want him gone and replaced by Reform. He will try and discredit the nation to turn on Farage but and this is the but, its what we want the uk people want now not in three years time. Which members on here believe Starmer is trustworthy and able to stop the Boats and end illegal migration, or Reform's mandate to remove all illegals now or those entering the UK.

 

I wouldn't trust Starmer to run me a bath.

 

Whenever he says something I assume the opposite to be true unless I have evidence to the contrary. 

He has lost the uk Support and will hide behind or blame others.  1 in 1 out lol thousand arrived last week how many sent back ?? We are now hitting 30 thousand this year so far. 

17 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

He has lost the uk Support and will hide behind or blame others.  1 in 1 out lol thousand arrived last week how many sent back ?? We are now hitting 30 thousand this year so far. 

 

He never really had much support.

 

It was a protest vote against the Tories. A very foolish move by the UK electorate that will take decades to undo the damage. 

 

One can only hope there is a general election before 2029 so that the voters can correct the mistake. Polls show they already acknowledge said mistake, they just need the chance to correct it.

 

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/reform-shock-15-point-lead-labour-farage-power-3887857?srsltid=AfmBOooTST8TV6wHQvCi1Xotr5-ldhBnBdfDHhc6N-IqGoGeyU9aUKyq

 

 

Never mind putting illegals in Hotels, Sussex Council have just housed illegals into brand new 300k plus Town houses complete with underfloor heating while locals are being turfed out of there properties to make way for new arrivals, including Afgahn Vets in Bolton who have been given notice to quit there property.

11 minutes ago, BarraMarra said:

Never mind putting illegals in Hotels, Sussex Council have just housed illegals into brand new 300k plus Town houses complete with underfloor heating while locals are being turfed out of there properties to make way for new arrivals, including Afgahn Vets in Bolton who have been given notice to quit there property.

Sussex or Suffolk?  A link would be good.  Either way, ridiculous for Serco, the company contracted by the Home Office to accommodate asylum seekers, to do this.

Why would i have to show a link Brewster you think i'm making it up ?

4 minutes ago, BarraMarra said:

Why would i have to show a link Brewster you think i'm making it up ?

 

Not at all, I just think you've got the county wrong.

Does it realy matter which County it is ? but its Suffolk where the Monthly Rental is £1,200 a Month. Picked up by us the Tax payer.