It appears Labour’s promise to end the use of migrant hotels by the end of this decade has got off to a tricky start.
New figures show the number of asylum seekers living in them has gone up by 8% during the party’s first year in office.
Ministers insist they’ve been cutting the asylum backlog left by the previous Tory government.
On Tuesday, Epping Council won a temporary High Court injunction to remove migrants from the Bell Hotel as the court sided with its claim that the use of the hotel broke planning laws.
Eighty Labour, Conservative and Reform councils are now reportedly considering legal challenges.
There are two known hotels housing asylum seekers in Gloucester and Cheltenham.
A spokesperson for Gloucester City Council said: “The council is not making any comment at the moment.”
In a statement, Cheltenham Borough Council said: “Cheltenham Borough Council collaborates with various partners to address issues related to homelessness and asylum seekers.
However, decisions regarding the locations and management of any asylum accommodation fall under the jurisdiction of the Home Office.
At present, we do not have any plans to pursue legal action similar to that of other councils, such as Epping Forest, but we will continue to monitor the situation closely.”