Author: Fatimah Idera

The High Court has ruled that asylum seekers can continue to be accommodated at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, following the dismissal of a legal challenge by the Epping Forest District Council. The council had sought to evict migrants from the hotel, arguing that its owner, Somani Hotels, breached planning regulations by using the premises for temporary asylum housing. However, in a ruling on Tuesday, Mr Justice Mould rejected the council’s request for an injunction, describing it as “not an appropriate means of enforcing planning control.” The case had drawn national attention after protests erupted outside the hotel during…

Health

German climate activist Marcus Decker has launched a legal challenge against his deportation from the UK after serving one of the longest sentences in British history for a peaceful protest. Decker, 36, was jailed for two years and seven months after climbing the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford Crossing in October 2022, where he and fellow protester Morgan Trowland displayed a Just Stop Oil banner to call attention to the climate emergency. After serving 16 months, Decker was released from prison in February 2024. While still incarcerated, he received notice from the Home Office that he faced automatic deportation…

US govt

The UK is sending military personnel and equipment to Belgium after a series of suspected Russian drone incursions into Belgian airspace. The move follows a request for assistance from Belgium’s defence chief earlier this week, according to the UK’s Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir Richard Knighton. Speaking to the media, Sir Richard confirmed that Britain would help Belgium “by providing our kit and capability” alongside NATO allies. Members of the RAF’s 2 Force Protection Wing are expected to be deployed as part of the mission. Brussels Airport was forced to close temporarily on Thursday night after drones were detected…

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is reviewing its decision to halt child benefit payments for around 23,500 claimants after using travel data to conclude they had permanently left the UK. The tax body’s automated checks, which compared benefit records with Home Office travel data, appear to have mistakenly targeted families who had only taken short holidays abroad. Under existing rules, child benefit normally stops after eight weeks spent outside the UK. However, many affected parents said their payments were suspended even after brief trips. The move has drawn scrutiny from MPs on the Treasury Select Committee, who demanded an explanation…

Reeves

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is planning a major overhaul of the UK’s immigration and asylum system, drawing inspiration from Denmark’s strict approach, the BBC has learned. Mahmood’s proposed reforms, set to be unveiled later this month, aim to curb incentives attracting migrants to the UK and make it easier to deport those without legal status. Officials have studied Denmark’s policies, including tighter rules on family reunions and temporary refugee protections. In Denmark, most refugees are granted only temporary residence and may be repatriated once their home countries are deemed safe. The Danish model also imposes age, employment, and financial conditions…

A former Metropolitan (MET) Police officer, Imran Patel, is facing a misconduct hearing after being accused of using sex workers and viewing adult websites while on duty, amid ongoing scrutiny of behaviour within the force. Patel, who resigned from the MET in July 2024, is alleged to have engaged in the misconduct in May 2022 during the same period an independent review into the MET’s culture and conduct was underway. The review, led by former civil servant Dame Louise Casey and commissioned by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, followed the kidnap, rape, and murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne…

Starmer