Upcoming demonstrations foreseen following the court's approval of government's asylum hotel decision
Protesters have vowed to hold regular demonstrations against the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, with a group called the Great British National Protest planning demonstrations outside the Home Office in Westminster every foreseeable Saturday.
The latest protests took place outside the Bell Hotel in Essex following a Court of Appeal ruling. The ruling came after weeks of protests in Essex, triggered by an asylum seeker housed at the Bell Hotel being charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl last month.
The Court of Appeal overturned Epping Forest District Council's interim injunction that would have prevented the Bell Hotel from being used as an asylum hotel. Three appeal judges described the previous judgment as "seriously flawed in principle," allowing at least 138 asylum seekers to continue being housed at the hotel beyond September 12.
The asylum seeker housed at the Bell Hotel has denied the charges.
The Home Office and Somani Hotels, which owns the Bell Hotel, challenged the High Court ruling. The Government argued that its duties towards asylum seekers under the European Convention on Human Rights were fundamentally different from the local council's planning responsibilities.
The courtroom victory by ministers triggered criticism from the Government's political opponents. Dame Angela Eagle, Home Office minister, said the Government is committed to closing all asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch urged Tory councils to pursue legal action regarding asylum hotels. Several Labour-run authorities are among those considering legal action, as per The Times.
Three men were arrested during the evening of the latest protests: one on suspicion of violent disorder, a second on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, and a third on suspicion of drink driving.
Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader, criticized the decision, claiming the Government used the European Convention on Human Rights against the people of Epping. Badenoch stated that local communities should not pay for Labour's failure on illegal immigration.
At least 13 other councils are considering legal action over the use of asylum hotels in their areas, according to The Times. Epping Forest District Council is considering taking its bid for a temporary injunction to the Supreme Court following the Court of Appeal decision.
The use of hotels to house asylum seekers remains a contentious issue, with protests expected to continue in the coming weeks.
Read also:
- Lu Shiow-yen's Challenging Position as Chair of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Under Scrutiny in Donovan's Analysis
- Voters in Germany are urging Friedrich Merz to apply pressure on Israel
- Enemy Forces Have Taken Ukrainian Prisoner
- BJP Persuaded Delhi Voters That Supporting AAP Was Pointless, According to Pavan K. Varma
