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Encouraging a different approach to handling the issue of asylum hotels, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has urged Tory-controlled councils to consider taking legal action against the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers within their regions. Badenoch commended Epping Forest District Council for successfully preventing a hotel from housing asylum seekers, labeling it as a triumph for local residents. In a communication addressed to Conservative council leaders, she expressed support for similar actions to protect communities, provided that the legal advice they receive supports such measures.
Responding to Badenoch’s initiative, a Labour spokesperson dismissed her efforts as “desperate and hypocritical nonsense from the architects of the broken asylum system.” Under the Conservative government, the use of asylum hotels peaked at 400, but that number has now dwindled significantly, with 20,000 fewer asylum seekers residing in hotels compared to the peak under Conservative governance. The recent High Court ruling that granted Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction to cease housing migrants at The Bell Hotel in Essex has prompted councils across England to mull similar legal challenges as they prepare contingency plans for the relocation of asylum seekers.
Traditionally, hotels have only served as short-term emergency accommodations for asylum seekers in situations where other housing options were unavailable. However, hotel usage surged during the Covid-19 pandemic, hitting a peak of 56,042 in 2023 when the Conservatives were in power. In contrast, the Labour government has committed to abolishing the use of migrant hotels by 2029 through measures such as reducing small-boat crossings and expediting asylum claim resolutions. As of the end of March, Home Office figures indicate that 32,345 asylum seekers were housed in hotels, representing a 15% decline from the end of December.
Various councils, including some under Labour leadership, are currently evaluating their legal avenues in response to the recent developments. Badenoch advised Tory council leaders to seek guidance from planning officers on potential planning enforcement options to address unauthorized development or changes in usage. Echoing Epping Forest District Council’s stance, the Conservative leader of Broxbourne Council, Corina Gander, indicated her council’s intent to pursue a legal challenge against an asylum hotel in their area. Reform UK’s Nigel Farage affirmed that all 12 councils under his party’s control will vigorously follow the lead set by Epping
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