A Somali asylum seeker has revealed the “pain and fear” experienced by migrants at The Bell Hotel in Epping as they face eviction following a landmark High Court ruling that could transform how councils across Britain handle asylum accommodation.
Khadar Mohamed, 24, who fled Somalia in 2022 after terrorists killed his sister and threatened his life, said residents are living in constant terror each time protesters gather outside the three-star Essex hotel. His testimony comes as approximately 140 men face being removed from the premises by 12 September following Tuesday’s court decision.
“I speak very good English but I’d never heard the word ‘scumbag’ until these people came along,” Mr Mohamed told The Mirror, describing the hostile reception he has faced since arriving in the UK three months ago. “It is very painful to be called these names and when people pass you in their cars and you walk along the streets they make noises at you and bad faces.”
The High Court ruling, which granted Epping Forest District Council an interim injunction on planning grounds, has sent shockwaves through government as ministers brace for a potential cascade of similar legal challenges from councils nationwide. Mr Justice Eyre ruled that using the hotel to house asylum seekers breached planning laws, as the building’s sole lawful use was as a conventional hotel.
Mr Mohamed, who has now been granted asylum, said women “hold their purses tighter” when he walks past, despite insisting he poses no threat to anyone. The hostile atmosphere has intensified following violent clashes outside the hotel that have resulted in 28 arrests in recent weeks.
The protests erupted after Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 41, an Ethiopian asylum seeker who arrived in Britain via small boat on 29 June, was charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity. He denies all charges and remains in custody awaiting trial. A second resident, Syrian national Mohammed Sharwarq, faces seven separate offences.
“I want everybody to know that there are no paedophiles and rapists living inside this hotel,” Mr Mohamed insisted. “We don’t sympathise with that behaviour and if we had had the chance we would have stopped it.”
Sharing his harrowing journey to Britain, Mr Mohamed revealed that his sister Farxiya was murdered by Al-Shabaab terrorists after being forced to marry one of their fighters and refusing to adopt their extremist ideology. He himself was coerced into joining the group and forced to teach the Quran to schoolchildren despite opposing their violent agenda.
When he resisted their demands, militants attacked him with a knife, leaving a permanent scar on his right arm. They also tortured him by cutting off one of his fingernails as a means of asserting control. Mr Mohamed eventually fled his village of Elbur after refusing to be “weaponised” and participate in attacks against Somali authorities.
His escape led to two years of imprisonment before someone with government connections secured his release and helped him obtain a visa to Turkey. From there, he travelled through Greece and Austria before reaching the UK, where he hoped to find safety and build a new life.
The court’s decision has created uncertainty for all residents, with Mr Mohamed saying they have been given 50 to 60 days to leave, though many remain unclear about their next destination. The ruling came despite last-minute intervention attempts by the Home Office, which warned of a “very significant operational burden” in relocating asylum seekers on “extremely short order.
Council leader Chris Whitbread celebrated the ruling, calling it “great news for our residents” after what he described as “intolerable strain” on the community. However, the decision has raised concerns about a domino effect, with Conservative-run Broxbourne Council already announcing it is seeking urgent legal advice about mounting a similar challenge.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has pledged that all dozen authorities under his party’s control will seek legal advice, while calling for “peaceful protests” outside asylum hotels to pressure councils into action. The precedent has alarmed government officials who fear a wave of copycat injunctions could overwhelm an already strained accommodation system.
Philip Coppel KC, representing the council, told the court that the situation “could not be much worse,” citing increased community tensions and describing the hotel as a “feeding ground for unrest.” He argued that while asylum seekers were not acting unlawfully, the hotel owner, Somani Hotels Limited, had breached planning laws by changing the building’s use.
The hotel struck its deal with the Home Office in May 2020 after ceasing regular operations, with all 80 rooms now occupied. Lawyers for Somani Hotels argued that asylum contracts had been a “financial lifeline” after the hotel recorded just 1 per cent occupancy in August 2022 when open to paying customers.
Security minister Dan Jarvis admitted the government is examining “contingency options” but struggled to articulate clear alternatives during a radio interview, acknowledging that hotels are not “the right way to accommodate people” while failing to specify what would replace them.
The case highlights the toxic intersection of asylum policy, community tensions and local planning law that has created flashpoints across Britain. The Bell Hotel sits near five schools and a residential care home, with parents and carers expressing safety concerns after learning residents undergo no criminal record checks.
Essex Police have faced sustained pressure managing demonstrations, requiring mutual aid from other forces as protesters from far beyond the local area have descended on Epping. The situation has drained police resources and created what authorities describe as an unsustainable environment for all involved.
For Mr Mohamed and fellow residents, the court ruling represents another chapter in their uncertain journey. Having fled persecution and violence in their homelands, they now face eviction from what has become, however imperfect, their temporary refuge in Britain.
“We are living in pain and fear,” Mr Mohamed said of the ongoing protests and hostile reception. His dream of making Britain his permanent home remains intact despite the challenges, though the path forward has become even more uncertain following this week’s landmark ruling.
As the September deadline approaches, the government faces mounting pressure to find alternative accommodation for The Bell Hotel’s residents while potentially defending against a wave of similar legal challenges. The case has exposed deep fractures in Britain’s approach to asylum accommodation and set a precedent that could reshape how councils nationwide respond to hotels housing migrants.
The human cost of these policy battles is embodied in stories like Mr Mohamed’s – individuals who fled unimaginable violence only to find themselves at the centre of Britain’s increasingly hostile debate over immigration and asylum.
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