UK seeks to appeal court ruling on moving asylum seekers out of hotel

LONDON (Reuters) -The British government will seek to appeal a court ruling that will force asylum seekers to be removed from a hotel that has become a focal point for anti-immigration protests, Security Minister Dan Jarvis said on Friday.

The Bell Hotel in Epping, just north of London, has seen weeks of anti-immigration demonstrations and counter protests since an Ethiopian asylum seeker living in the hotel was charged last month with sexual assault. He denies the charges.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government has pledged to end the costly practice of housing the thousands of asylum seekers arriving in small boats in hotels around the country, but has said it will do so in a gradual manner.

Epping council's successful legal action to have migrants removed from the Bell Hotel has spurred other local councils to consider similar action, pressuring the government's ability to comply with its legal duty to provide accommodation for asylum seekers.

"We're going to close all asylum hotels in this Parliament," Jarvis told broadcasters. "But this needs to be done in an ordered and managed fashion, and that's why we've taken the decision to appeal the legal ruling."

Hundreds of people have protested outside the Bell Hotel in recent weeks, with 16 people also having been charged in relation to what police described as criminal disorder. Similar protests have been held outside other hotels housing migrants.

Starmer has been facing criticism over his immigration policies after official figures on Thursday showed asylum claims at a record high, with more migrants being housed in hotels compared with a year ago.

Immigration has overtaken the economy as the number one issue for the British public, according to at least two regular trackers of voters' concerns.

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; Editing by Kate Holton)