The Home Office has said it is working to close hotels and "restore order" after a council unanimously voted to urge the Government to shut a hotel housing asylum seekers following a series of protests around the site.
Multiple demonstrations have been held outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, since July 13 after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Dozens of protesters gathered at the site again on Thursday evening.
Police make 18 arrests
Police have made 18 arrests and charged seven people in connection with the demonstrations. The Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has also reportedly urged the Home Secretary to review the use of the hotel for housing asylum seekers.
Epping Forest District Council passed a motion on Thursday to call on the Government "to immediately and permanently close" the hotel "for the purposes of asylum processing". The council unanimously voted in favour of the motion.
New policy targets non-compliance
On Friday, the Home Office said the new Failure to Travel policy is designed to tackle non-compliance by asylum seekers and will ensure individuals who are moved from hotels to suitable alternative accommodation must take it. Those who refuse to move without a valid reason will now risk losing their housing and support, the Home Office said.
Dame Angela Eagle, minister for border security and asylum, said: "We are working to close hotels, restore order, and put fairness and value for money at the heart of our asylum system. This Government is making those necessary decisions to protect the taxpayer and uphold the integrity of our borders. These reforms to the Failure to Travel policy are another example of this Government's action to transform the asylum accommodation system and crack down on those who abuse our system, so it operates fairly and saves the taxpayer money."
Government promises continued cooperation
Asked specifically about the Epping Forest District Council vote, the Home Office said: "We'll continue to work closely with local police and community partners, in Epping and across the country, as we fix this broken system."
In a letter to Yvette Cooper, the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner said the hotel is unsuitable for housing migrants and is "clearly creating community tension", the Telegraph reported. Roger Hirst continued: "(I am) requesting a meeting to discuss the ongoing use of hotels in the Epping Forest district of Essex, and elsewhere in the county, to accommodate newly arrived asylum seekers."
Commissioner highlights unsuitability
Hirst specifically sought to "highlight the unsuitability of The Bell Hotel in Epping for this purpose, and request that its use be reviewed. The presence of asylum seeker accommodation in this district is clearly creating community tension. These large-scale protests are disrupting local life and placing an unwelcome burden on Essex Police resources."
Last Thursday's protest began peacefully but escalated into what officers described as "scattered incidents of violence" targeting police and property. The force previously said a small number of people used that demonstration as cover to commit violent disorder and criminal damage.
Violence targets police and property
Eight officers were injured and a number of police vehicles were damaged as missiles were thrown. The latest developments come as police are braced for further protests, and the Government and law enforcement have vowed to act swiftly if unrest spreads.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said on Thursday she was "confident" the prison system was now robust enough to cope if riots were to erupt again. "I'm confident we've taken the decisions that mean that we will always be able to respond," she said.
Prison system 'robust enough'
"I'm not going to let us run out of prison places," Mahmood continued. "Governments can't predict the future but our job is to make sure that we are capable of responding in a way that the public would expect and I'm confident we are in that position."
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
