High Court Injunction to Stop Asylum Seeking Children Being Housed at Hotel Fails
Key Highlights :
Despite a high court injunction applied for by Brighton and Hove City Council to immediately stop asylum seeking children being housed at a hotel where scores have gone missing, the challenge was declined. However, a renewed bid to prevent the policy will now be argued again at a later date.
The Argus previously revealed that 139 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children had been reported missing to Sussex Police, with 50 still unaccounted for. At the hearing, the Home Office heard that unaccompanied children as young as nine had been housed in hotels across the country. Around 40 per cent of the children housed are reported to be under 16 years old.
Council leader Bella Sankey said: “We’re disappointed our injunction has been declined today, but this is just the first stage in our drive to protect these vulnerable children. The court made clear it recognises the gravity of the situation that has been allowed to develop, and we now look forward to being able to argue our full claim at the earliest opportunity.”
The Home Office has given undertakings to the Court to provide notice to the council if it intends to use the hotel, and the Council has permission to apply again for an injunction if that is the case. A trial on the issue is expected to take place later this summer.
Peter Kyle, MP for Hove and Portslade, said: “Home Office ministers have repeatedly assured us that asylum seeking children housed in hotels were ages sixteen and above. It is becoming clearer by the day that this accommodation is in appropriate and unsafe. It’s also clear that ministers cannot be trusted to tell the truth when it comes to what is happening within asylum hotels.”
The failure of the high court injunction to immediately stop asylum seeking children being housed at the hotel where scores have gone missing is deeply concerning. It is evident that the issue of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children being housed in hotels is a complex one, and more must be done to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
The Home Office must take responsibility for the safety of these vulnerable children, and provide suitable and safe accommodation. It is essential that the Home Office is held to account and that the renewed bid to prevent the policy is successful. The safety of these children must be the top priority.
