The new ruling is a legal victory for the Home Office, but has poured petrol on the fire in communities already reaching breaking point. Reversing the High Court’s prior decision closes a potential loophole for those hoping to reduce the vast quantity of asylum seekers housed in UK hotels, and while Friday’s ruling has been sold to us as courtroom clarity on a delicate scenario, it may yet prove to be political quicksand.
The government continues to insist that hotels remain a “temporary necessity” in the asylum system, with migrants’ claims taking months to process and having no alternative sites ready for the next few years. For communities though, it seems to have landed like a hammer blow.
In North Yorkshire and the Midlands, demonstrations have intensified. “Homes for Brits First” and “We Weren’t Asked” appear on placards, summing up the general attitude of local citizens. Residents continue to voice concerns about unaffordable housing, stretched GP surgeries, and lack of consultation in decisions that change their communities. To most, the case is not about legal technicalities, but rather about being excluded from key decisions that reshape their towns, and their lives, overnight.
One protestor told Sky News: “It’s not fair. We can’t afford housing for our own people. We can’t get GP appointments. Yet the government pays millions to put them up in hotels”. ...<<<Read More>>>...
