Home Office to penalise asylum seekers who refuse to move out of hotels

Government concerned about risk of unrest spreading ahead of new protests at the Bell hotel in Essex

Asylum seekers who refuse to move out of hotels to new accommodation will have their support withdrawn, the Home Office has said, before more protests at a site in Essex this weekend.

Angela Eagle, a Home Office minister, said the government was working to close hotels, restore order, and put fairness and value for money at the heart of our asylum system".