Yesterday, the High Court ruled asylum seekers would have to be removed from an Essex hotel after the local council sought an injunction to block them from being housed there.
Epping Forest District Council opposed migrants being placed at The Bell Hotel in Epping following weeks of protests on the streets outside. The demonstrations were sparked after an asylum seeker living there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the town.
It’s the first time a local authority has legally challenged the placing of an asylum seeker hotel in their borough, prompting questions whether other councils might follow suit.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has asked every council in Greater Manchester for a comment following the legal ruling. This is what they said:
Bolton
There are no asylum seeker hotels in Bolton, so the council did not comment.
Bury
A spokesman for Bury Council, said: “We do not have any hotels housing asylum seekers in Bury.”
Manchester
A Manchester City Council spokesperson said: “We are assessing the implications of the Epping ruling.”
Manchester currently has four asylum seeker hotels in the city.
Oldham
There is one asylum seeker hotel in Oldham. The council did not wish to comment at this early stage.
Rochdale
There are no longer any asylum seeker hotels in Rochdale, so the council did not wish to comment. Rochdale previously had two, but both have since closed down.
Salford
There are no asylum seeker hotels in Salford, so the council did not wish to comment.
Stockport
There are two asylum seeker hotels in Stockport. The council were contacted for comment.
Tameside
There are no hotels housing asylum seekers in Tameside, so the council did not wish to comment.
Trafford
A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: “We are aware of the High Court ruling concerning Epping Council and are now awaiting the final details of the judgement before we make any decisions.”
The local Conservative group have called for the closure of Trafford’s two hotels where asylum seekers are housed.
Tory councillor Nathna Evans said: “We stand with our community—residents deserve transparency, safety, and agency. We refuse to wait for a tragedy to act.”
Wigan
There are no longer any asylum seeker hotels in Wigan, following the closure of Kilney Court in 2023. The council therefore did not wish to comment.
