@jfw1479: The High Court judgement granting a temporary court injunction to prevent asylum seekers from being housed at a hotel in Epping will be a political and practical headache for the government. Practically, the Home Office has less than a month to find alternative accommodation for the asylum seekers housed at the Bell Hotel. The hope – though perhaps not the expectation – is that Tuesday's judgement does not set a precedent. Epping Forest District Council has to return to court in the autumn and it is possible the temporary ban on housing asylum seekers will not be made permanent. But the Home Office's lawyers have acknowledged that this is more than a local difficulty on the outskirts of Greater London. They have said that the decision could "substantially impact" the government's ability to house asylum seekers in hotels across the UK. The use of hotels has halved from 402 at their peak to 210 now but some contracts are in place until 2029, and pressure will grow on ministers to find alternative accommodation at a greater pace than envisaged. And although the number of asylum seekers in hotels fell by 6,000 in the first three months of the year, 32,000 remain. But this practical re-housing headache could escalate into a political migraine.

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Wednesday 20 August 2025 06:32:12 GMT