All residents removed from Epping asylum hotel, says council

Epping Forest District Council says it is "seeking clarification from the Home Office" after residents at a hotel housing asylum seekers were removed without warning.

Last year, the Bell Hotel in Essex was the location of protests after a resident, Hadush Kebatu, sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl.

He was found guilty of five offences - including sexual assault - and jailed, and was then mistakenly released from Chelmsford prison last October before he was detained and deported to Ethiopia.

The council said it was aware the Home Office had vacated all residents staying at the hotel and only security staff remained onsite.

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In a statement, Epping Forest District Council said: "Despite ongoing engagement with the Home Office, we did not know in advance that this was going to happen.

"We are seeking clarification from the Home Office on the details of what has happened and what their next steps will be."

The Home Office later confirmed that staff and asylum seekers were removed due to fire regulation concerns.

It added that it had recently closed 11 asylum hotels and was considering military sites as alternative contingency accommodation.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The government is removing the incentives drawing illegal migrants to Britain. We are closing every asylum hotel and moving asylum seekers into basic accommodation including ex-military sites.

"The population of asylum seekers in hotels has fallen by 35% in the last year and by 63% from the peak under the previous government."

(c) Sky News 2026: All residents removed from Epping asylum hotel, says council