Overview
- Epping Forest District Council said Thursday that the Home Office had removed all residents from the Bell Hotel and left only security staff on site.
- The council said it was not told in advance and has asked the Home Office to explain where residents were rehoused and whether the closure is permanent.
- The Home Office has framed the action as part of a nationwide policy to close every asylum hotel and move people into basic accommodation including ex-military sites, and it says hotel numbers have fallen sharply year on year.
- Media reports say the Bell vacating was carried out because of fire-safety concerns and described as a precautionary measure, though the Home Office has not confirmed long-term plans for the site.
- The Bell has housed asylum seekers intermittently since 2020 and became a flashpoint after the conviction of resident Hadush Kebatu and large protests; the council previously lost legal bids to block the hotel’s use, highlighting tension between local planning and national asylum policy.