A temporary injunction that would have blocked asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping has been overturned at Court of Appeal
The Home Office and Somani Hotels have been given leave to appeal the original ruling.
Judges ruled that the temporary injunction would incentivise unlawful protests and “may incentivise” other councils to apply for similar injunctions.
They said the judge in the original case had made an ‘erroneous decision’ in denying the Home Office the right to take part in the legal proceedings
‘If an outbreak of protests enhances the case for a planning injunction, this runs the risk of acting as an incentive for further protests. There is a risk of encouraging further lawlessness’
The previous High Court ruling had said the 138 men being housed at the Bell Hotel had to leave by 12 September but now they will now be allowed to stay.
The Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused the government of ‘using the courts against the British people’
The Government had argued that the human rights of asylum seekers ultimately trumped the concerns of local residents
