On Tuesday, a judge in England is set to decide whether to block a hotel in Epping, northeast of London, from being used as accommodation for asylum seekers.
In recent weeks, the hotel, The Bell, had become the center of repeated protests, which have at times become violent, after an asylum seeker staying there was charged last month with sexually assaulting a teenage girl, which he denies.
The district council applied for an injunction barring the hotel from housing asylum seekers, stating that doing so violates planning rules and “poses a clear risk of further escalating community tensions already at a high, and the risk of irreparable harm to the local community.”
If the council’s case is successful, it may provide a template for other places in Britain seeking to prevent hotels from being used as accommodation for asylum seekers.
But how did this issue begin, and why does it pose such a challenge to the government?
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
Under British law, the government has a longstanding legal obligation to provide accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise be homeless while their applications are being considered. Most asylum seekers have been barred from working in Britain since the early 2000s, when the Labour government at the time wanted to prevent people from using the asylum system to gain access to work opportunities in Britain.
As a result, unless asylum seekers have family or friends willing to provide accommodation, or significant funds, the government must give them accommodation.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The post What to Know About the Protests Outside U.K. Hotels Housing Asylum Seekers appeared first on New York Times.
