Judge Orders Asylum Seekers to Leave Epping Hotel by September 12
The High Court has mandated that asylum seekers at a hotel in Epping must vacate the premises by 4 p.m. on September 12, following a request for an urgent injunction from Epping Forest. The local authority argued that failure to act posed a significant risk of escalating community tensions, reports 24brussels.
While Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s department contested the injunction application, emphasizing its potential to “substantially impact” the government’s ability to shelter asylum seekers in hotels, the judge ruled in favor of the injunction.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage hailed the decision as “a victory for the parents and concerned residents of Epping,” suggesting it might serve as a “source of inspiration” for other communities facing similar challenges.
Epping has experienced significant protests near the hotel housing single male asylum seekers. Although the demonstrations have mainly remained peaceful, riot police were deployed in July, leading to sixteen individuals being charged with various offenses related to the protests.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who visited Epping recently, characterized the ruling as “good news” and a win for the “mums and dads” she encountered, expressing their desire for safe environments for their children. She cautioned that Epping represents “just one of many towns struggling with these asylum hotels.”
