Councils fail to block migrants from hotels

Two councils have lost bids for High Court injunctions to prevent hotels from housing asylum seekers.

East Riding of Yorkshire council and Ipswich borough council asked for extensions to interim injunctions to stop migrants being housed at hotels in Hull and Ipswich. Lawyers for the councils said at a hearing in London this month there had been an “unauthorised material change of use” under planning rules as the Home Office tried to book accommodation.

But yesterday, Mr Justice Holgate denied the request, saying it was the Home Office’s duty to provide housing for “destitute asylum seekers who would otherwise be homeless”.