The Home Office will seek to appeal against the High Court’s refusal to allow it to intervene in the case of a hotel used to house asylum seekers in Epping, the security minister has said.
Dan Jarvis said the Government would appeal against the decision on Friday, which if successful would open the way for a wider appeal against a temporary injunction blocking the Home Office from using the Bell Hotel as asylum accommodation.
He told broadcasters: “This Government will close all asylum hotels and we will clear up the mess that we inherited from the previous government.
“We’ve made a commitment that we will close all of the asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament, but we need to do that in a managed and ordered way.
“And that’s why we’ll appeal this decision.”
The move comes after the High Court granted Epping Forest District Council the temporary injunction on Tuesday that blocked asylum seekers from being housed in the hotel from September 12.
The local authority had sought legal action after the accommodation site had been at the centre of protests in recent weeks after an asylum seeker was charged with trying to kiss a 14-year-old girl, which he denies.
Before judgment was handed down on Tuesday, barristers for the Home Office asked to intervene in the case, citing the “substantial impact” caused to the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, in performing her legal duties to asylum seekers.
They argued moving asylum seekers in the short period would cause “particular acute difficulties” for the Government.
But the bid was dismissed by Mr Justice Eyre who said the department’s involvement was “not necessary”.
The judge also refused to give Somani Hotels Limited, which owns the Bell Hotel in Epping, the green light to challenge his ruling granting Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction.
Barristers for the company had asked to be allowed to appeal against the ruling, citing its “wide-reaching ramifications” including the impact it could have on the wider strategy and statutory duty for the Home Secretary to house asylum seekers.
But Mr Justice Eyre said that he was “not persuaded there is such a compelling reason”.
Somani Hotels could still ask the Court of Appeal for the go-ahead to challenge the ruling.
Since the injunction was granted, councils across the country controlled by Labour, the Conservatives and Reform UK are investigating whether they could also pursue legal challenges against asylum hotels.
A wave of protests outside hotels used to temporarily house asylum seekers is expected in the coming days.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “It is completely wrong that the Labour Government is taking legal action to keep open the Bell Hotel.
“The Government isn’t listening to the public or to the courts.
“Instead of trying to keep illegal immigrants in expensive hotels, the Conservatives would remove all illegal arrivals, put in place a real deterrent and ensure towns like Epping are never put in this position again.”
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