Epping asylum hotel closure date confirmed as Home Office terminates contract

The closing date of the Epping asylum hotel has been confirmed after the Home Office terminated the controverial contract.The Bell Hotel in Essex set the scene for furious protests last summer after a small boat migrant and resident, Hadush Kebatu, sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl.All asylum seekers have already been moved out of the residence, which will officially stop being used on July 11, Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) confirmed.The council welcomed the complete surprise but hit out at Shabana Mahmood's department for allowing the accommodation to severely impact the local community over the past year. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Protests first erupted last summer after Kebatu was found guilty of five offences, including sexual assault.The migrant was later released from HMP Chelmsford in error and was at large for two days before being detained and deported back to Ethiopia.Following the announcement of the closure date, the EFDC said: The Home Office has finally, this morning, confirmed to Epping Forest District Council that it is terminating its contract with the Bell Hotel, Epping, as asylum accommodation.It will cease being used by July 11 2026 and all service users have been notified of the closure and relocated to other parts of its asylum estate.The news came as a complete surprise, but a welcome one, as it brings an important opportunity to concentrate on rebuilding our community that has been so severely impacted and divided by the damaging events of the past year.Epping has traditionally been a community built on trust, inclusivity and mutual support with a strong sense of belonging, something recent events have tested to the limits.The council leader Chris Whitbread said it was extremely disappointing that the Home Office did not communicate the termination date with them on an issue that has had such a major impact on our town.Mr Whitbread added: It shows how little regard the Home Office has for our town, our community, and the people of Epping who have suffered immeasurably over the course of the last year because of the Home Office’s use of the Bell Hotel to accommodate asylum seekers.BRITAIN'S BORDERS CRISIS - READ MORE:Epping asylum hotel evacuated as all residents removed amid 'safety concerns'Nine arrested in Immigration Enforcement 'crackdown' at DPD delivery hubsLabour refuses to reveal cost of '26,074-in, 921-out deal' after secretly extending accordI am hopeful that our community, and particularly those residents living in the immediate vicinity of the Bell Hotel, can now be afforded some peace.We hope the Home Office will work with the hotel owner to restore the street scene around the Bell Hotel and we would welcome a conversation with Somani Hotels about its plans for the future of the site.A Home Office spokesman said: The Government is removing the incentives drawing illegal migrants to Britain. That is why we will close every single asylum hotel, moving illegal migrants into basic accommodation like military barracks.We are working closely with local authorities, property partners and across government so that we can accelerate delivery.The local council has been engulfed in a lengthy and extensive battle with Ms Mahmood's team over the site which has attracted regular disturbances for the community. Back in March, the High Court dismissed the authority's appeal to halt the use of the hotel as asylum accommodatio, stirring up fury among local homeowners and families.MORE TO FOLLOW... Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter