Epping Forest District Council says the Home Office has vacated all residents from The Bell Hotel, leaving only security staff onsite. The council says it was not told in advance and wants clarification on whether the move is temporary or permanent.
Epping Forest District Council says the Home Office has removed all asylum seekers from The Bell Hotel in Epping, leaving only security staff on site.
The council said it was not told in advance that residents were being moved out and is seeking clarification on what happened and what happens next.
The hotel has been at the centre of protests and legal action over its use for asylum accommodation, making the sudden evacuation a significant shift in a long-running local dispute.
Sudden removal
BBC News first reported on Thursday that the hotel had been vacated after fire safety concerns. The Guardian later reported that the council believed all residents had been removed and that only security staff remained.
The council said it had ongoing engagement with the Home Office but was not warned that the move was happening.
Long-running flashpoint
The Bell Hotel became a focal point for protests last summer over the housing of asylum seekers there. Epping Forest District Council later pursued legal action over the hotel’s use for asylum accommodation.
In November 2025, the High Court ruled the hotel could continue housing asylum seekers while legal proceedings continued.
That background made Thursday’s evacuation especially notable, because it raises fresh questions about whether the move is temporary or permanent and whether residents will be placed elsewhere.
What happens next
The council says it is waiting for clarity from the Home Office on the reason for the move and on future plans for the site.
It is not yet clear whether asylum seekers will return to the hotel or be relocated elsewhere, and officials have not publicly explained the full sequence of events.
Revision note
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