Overview

• Home Office figures show 32,059 people were in asylum hotels at end‑June, up 8% year on year but 43% below the 2023 peak.
• Asylum applications hit a record 111,000 in the year to June, increasing pressure on already stretched accommodation capacity.
• A High Court judge granted Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction to remove residents from the Bell Hotel, with removal ordered by 12 September, and ministers are weighing an appeal according to reports.
• Councils across parties, including Broxbourne and others cited by national outlets, are exploring similar legal actions that could curtail hotel use.
• Home Office contractors have contacted property specialists about sourcing roughly 5,000 residential units as contingency housing, and campaigners have announced plans for protests at multiple hotels this weekend, according to media reports.