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4h ago

Court of Appeal Hears Challenge to Epping Asylum Hotel Injunction

Ministers argue the High Court order imperils accommodation capacity, risking further protests.

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Media reports outside The Bell Hotel, following Tuesday's High Court ruling in London that granted a temporary injunction to stop asylum seekers from being housed at the site, in Epping, Britain, August 20, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/File Photo
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Overview

  • The Home Office and Somani Hotels asked the Court of Appeal to overturn an interim injunction that would bar use of the Bell Hotel for asylum accommodation after 12 September.
  • Government lawyers also challenged the High Court’s refusal to let the home secretary intervene, saying the case affects statutory duties to house asylum seekers.
  • In written submissions, the Home Office warned the ruling could spur copycat council actions and disorder around other sites, citing national obligations including Article 3 ECHR.
  • Somani Hotels said 138 residents would face hardship if moved and argued the highly publicised case risks setting a precedent as other councils weigh similar injunctions.
  • Epping Forest District Council opposed the appeal, framing the dispute as a planning-control matter with no legal error by the judge and alleging the hotel bypassed proper permission.