AdvertisementAdvertisementA demonstrator holds a placard as she leaves a protest outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, near London, Sunday, July 27, 2025.(Photo: AP/Alberto Pezzali)29 Aug 2025 12:51AM Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInRead a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST LONDON: The UK government on Thursday (Aug 28) urged a court to lift a ban on housing asylum seekers at a protest-hit hotel, warning the injunction risked setting a precedent that could undermine its duty to accommodate vulnerable migrants.The Court of Appeal is hearing the government’s challenge to a High Court ruling issued earlier this month, which gave authorities until Sep 12 to remove asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel in Epping, northeast London.The case has dealt a political and logistical blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government, with more than 32,000 asylum seekers already housed in hotels across Britain at the end of March.FLASHPOINT HOTELThe Bell Hotel became a flashpoint in July when protests broke out after an Ethiopian asylum seeker staying there was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu has denied the charges.Some protests turned violent and spread to other parts of the country, prompting Epping Forest district council to sue the Home Office, arguing the site posed a risk to public safety and breached planning laws.The Home Office and hotel owner Somani Hotels countered that the Bell had previously hosted migrants and that the protests were unrelated to planning issues.Protesters attend an anti-immigration demonstration 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, Aug 24, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Jaimi Joy)GOVERNMENT ARGUMENTGovernment lawyer Becca Jones told the court that the loss of 152 hotel spaces would be “significant” for the system.“Granting the interim injunction risks setting a precedent which would have a serious impact on the Secretary of State’s ability to house vulnerable people,” she said.She warned that the decision would embolden councils and protesters seeking to block asylum housing.Three senior judges are set to deliver their ruling on Friday afternoon.POLITICAL PRESSUREAnti-immigration figure Nigel Farage has said councils led by his Reform UK party will pursue similar legal challenges.More than 50,000 migrants have crossed the Channel from northern France in small boats since Starmer became prime minister in July 2024, fuelling public frustration.Labour has pledged to phase out the use of hotels for asylum seekers before the next election, likely in 2029, citing billions of pounds in costs.Source: AFP/fsSign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST