Epping Forest applied for an urgent injunction, citing a clear risk of escalating community tensions without action.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s department contested the injunction application, cautioning it would significantly impact the government’s capacity to house asylum seekers in hotels. However, the judge ordered that migrants must leave by 4 p.m. on September 12.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the ruling “a victory for the parents and concerned residents of Epping” and suggested it should inspire others nationwide.
Epping has witnessed protests near the hotel used for single male asylum seekers. Despite being mostly peaceful, riot police were summoned in July, and sixteen people have been charged with offenses related to the protests.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who visited Epping earlier this month, hailed the ruling as “good news and a victory for the mums and dads” she met, emphasizing their desire for their children’s safety. She warned that Epping is “just one of many towns struggling with these asylum hotels.”
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