Elon Musk has issued a stark warning to Brits on his social media platform X, urging them to “take action now”. This comes after the Home Office and the owner of the Bell Hotel, Somani Hotels, challenged a ruling which would have prevented 138 asylum seekers from being housed there beyond September 12. On Friday, the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court injunction, arguing that the human rights of asylum seekers outweighed the safety concerns of local families.
The Tesla-boss responded to the ruling on X, and said: “Every village in Britain will become Epping unless the people of Britain take action now.” Mr Musk added in another post: “The nightmare happening to Epping and hundreds of other towns in Britain and Ireland will come to your town too, unless it is stopped by the people.”
Mr Musk’s comments follow the Home Office’s intervention into the case concerning the Bell Hotel. Epping Forest District Council sought and obtained the injunction against the Bell Hotel after weeks of protests took place outside the building.
This followed a 38-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker, who was living at the hotel, being charged with sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. He denies any wrongdoing.
Despite the injunction being overturned, at least thirteen councils across the UK are pushing ahead with legal action over the use of migrant hotels in their area.
This includes Reform UK councils, such as West Northamptonshire and Staffordshire, and at least four Labour-run councils, including Wirral, Stevenage, Tamworth and Rushmoor authorities.
Conservative leader of Broxbourne council Corina Gander said her authority was continuing with its legal bid to close the Delta Hotel in Cheshunt, and Spelthorne council in Surrey also said there had been “no change” in its bid to push ahead with legal action.
This follows the Stanwell Hotel in Staines, changing from housing women and families to single males.
Protests erupted on Friday night and Saturday after the court ruling, as angered residents took the streets outside of migrant hotels. Locals gathered in Oldham, Hanley, Epping, London and Falkirk.
In the capital, five people were arrested when a group of masked men attempted to enter a hotel, the Metropolitan Police have said.
A Section 35 dispersal order has been put in place, allowing officers to direct people to leave the area and not return if they suspect they may cause disorder, police said.
