diff --git a/.github/utilities/issue_assign.py b/.github/utilities/issue_assign.py
index 69622ea5e5..3470cca1ad 100755
--- a/.github/utilities/issue_assign.py
+++ b/.github/utilities/issue_assign.py
@@ -20,13 +20,23 @@
 issue = repo.get_issue(number=issue_number)
 comment_body = context_dict["event"]["comment"]["body"]
 pr = context_dict["event"]["issue"].get("pull_request")
+issue_labels = {label.name.lower() for label in issue.labels}
+
+restricted_labels = {"meta-issue"}
 
 # Assign tagged used to the issue if the comment includes the trigger phrase
 body = comment_body.lower()
 if "@aeon-actions-bot" in body and "assign" in body and not pr:
-    mentioned_users = re.findall(r"@[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+", comment_body)
-    mentioned_users = [user[1:] for user in mentioned_users]
-    mentioned_users.remove("aeon-actions-bot")
+    if issue_labels & restricted_labels:
+        restricted = restricted_labels & issue_labels
+        issue.create_comment(
+            f"This issue contains the following restricted label(s): "
+            f"{', '.join(restricted)}. Assignment is skipped."
+        )
+    else:
+        mentioned_users = re.findall(r"@[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+", comment_body)
+        mentioned_users = [user[1:] for user in mentioned_users]
+        mentioned_users.remove("aeon-actions-bot")
 
-    for user in mentioned_users:
-        issue.add_to_assignees(user)
+        for user in mentioned_users:
+            issue.add_to_assignees(user)