The government is launching a major Asylum System Overhaul. This new plan targets the appeals process. Consequently, officials want to reduce migrant hotel stays. Therefore, a new independent body will form. Importantly, independent adjudicators will staff it. Their clear goal is to hear cases much faster.
Currently, initial decisions happen more quickly. However, appeals create long delays. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper calls these delays unacceptable. She is now taking practical steps. Specifically, she aims to fix the broken system.
On average, an appeal takes over a year. Furthermore, a staggering 51,000 cases still await decisions. During this long wait, taxpayers cover accommodation costs. Therefore, the new panel must act more swiftly than courts. Ministers firmly believe it will.
The government promises more details this autumn. This Asylum System Overhaul is urgently needed. Recently, public frustration over asylum hotels has exploded. Protests occurred across the UK last Saturday. For instance, people gathered in Bristol and Liverpool. Demonstrations also happened in London and Mold. Additionally, Perth and County Antrim saw protests.
Police often intervened to separate opposing groups. Anti-racism campaigners mounted counter-demonstrations. Consequently, several arrests occurred. A woman was arrested in Bristol for assault. Meanwhile, police made eleven arrests in Liverpool.
Epping became a particular hotspot for anger. Thousands protested outside the Bell Hotel there. This followed a serious sexual assault charge against a resident. The local council then won a High Court injunction. This order blocks the hotel from housing asylum seekers. The council cited public safety risks. All residents must leave by September 12.
The government will appeal this ruling. Cooper acknowledges the goal to end hotel use. However, she insists it must happen in a managed way. Other councils are now considering similar legal action. Tory-controlled Hillingdon is one example. It currently houses over 2,200 asylum seekers.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch supports these moves. She urged other Tory councils to follow suit. Reform UK’s Nigel Farage also backed the action. He promised his party’s councils would do the same.
Home Office figures show 131 local authorities use hotels. These “contingency accommodations” house migrants. Seventy-four are Labour-led areas. Thirty are run by Liberal Democrats. Nineteen have Conservative leadership. The Greens lead nine and Reform leads one. This nationwide issue demands a swift solution. The promised Asylum System Overhaul is therefore critical.
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