Council leaders have confirmed the city will continue to offer sanctuary to people in need
Around 400 counter-protesters stood in front of a hotel housing asylum seekers in Bristol city centre on Saturday, as around 50-60 anti-immigration protesters were kept back by police(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
The city council says asylum seekers are welcome in Bristol amid a national row over the government’s use of hotels to house migrants. This follows a judge granting Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction on Tuesday that blocked asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping.
As a result, about 140 migrants will have to leave the hotel by September 12, according to the BBC.
The ruling could set a precedent for other councils to lodge similar legal action. However Tony Dyer, leader of Bristol City Council, said Bristol remains proud of its status as a City of Sanctuary.
“Bristol is a long-established place of sanctuary,” he said. “We are a diverse city and are proud to welcome and provide safety for people seeking sanctuary from a wide range of backgrounds.”
“As a City of Sanctuary, we will continue to support and show compassion to people when they need it most.”
There were angry scenes in Bristol earlier in August when anti-asylum seeker protesters who had gathered outside a hotel in the city centre housing migrants were met by a larger group of counter protesters.
Many councils around the country are reportedly considering mounting their own legal challenges in the wake of the Epping Forest ruling. Epping Forest District Council is dominated by Conservatives, with Tories accounting for 28 of its 54 councillors, including all nine of its cabinet positions.
Bristol meanwhile has just seven Conservative councillors, with the Green Party (34) and Labour (21) dominating the 70-person council.
Cllr Dyer said that while hotel accommodation wasn’t necessarily an ideal solution, the council would try to approach the matter compassionately rather than litigiously.
“Hotel accommodation is not always the best way to meet the health and wellbeing needs of people seeking sanctuary and to help them integrate with existing communities,” he said.
“We are committed to reducing inequalities in our city and beyond, so it is important that effective planning is in place for people seeking sanctuary within our city, and that all our communities are well supported.”
“Our focus is on working collaboratively to improve conditions for people seeking sanctuary and fostering compassionate and resilient communities in Bristol.”
There are no so-called “asylum seeker hotels” in the areas governed by Bath & North East Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council.
A North Somerset Council spokesperson said they also did not intend to challenge the government on the matter.
“The housing of people seeking asylum in the UK is led by the Home Office,” the spokesperson said. “North Somerset Council is not currently considering legal action against any hotels for reasons that relate to permitted use under planning regulations.”