403
Sorry!!
Error! We're sorry, but the page you were looking for doesn't exist.
UK faces backlash over plans for fourteen new migrant housing sites
(MENAFN) The UK government is facing criticism after a leaked Home Office document revealed plans to identify up to 14 additional sites to house thousands of undocumented migrants, according to reports.
The initiative aligns with Labour’s pledge to phase out taxpayer-funded asylum hotels by 2029, which currently cost billions of pounds annually. Marked “official sensitive,” the memo, first reported by The Sunday Times, indicates that the Home Office is preparing to resettle as many as 10,000 asylum seekers across the country.
The plan involves repurposing former military facilities that have been upgraded to receive arrivals immediately. Two sites have already been publicly confirmed: Cameron Barracks in Inverness and the Crowborough Army Training Camp in East Sussex.
While the facilities would be fenced, migrants would not be legally detained and could leave at any time. At a comparable site in Wethersfield, Essex, the Home Office currently operates a shuttle service to nearby towns every day of the week.
Defence officials acknowledged that placing facilities near residential areas is “problematic” and likely to provoke “fierce resistance” from local communities, a source told the Daily Mail.
Over the weekend, hundreds of residents in Crowborough, a town of roughly 20,000, marched to protest plans to house 600 asylum seekers at the disused base. Protesters carried signs reading “Protect our children” and “Protect our community.” One resident, Ben Grant, said, “We just feel like we’ve been let down by the government.” Others called for military oversight to maintain control, and local youths expressed fear for their personal safety.
In Inverness, residents have voiced similar concerns, particularly regarding the safety of women and girls, given the proposed site’s proximity to the city centre.
Government figures show that the Home Office currently supports around 103,000 migrants, including over 32,000 housed in hotels. In recent weeks, more than 1,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats, pushing this year’s total to over 38,000, exceeding the 36,816 recorded in all of 2024.
The initiative aligns with Labour’s pledge to phase out taxpayer-funded asylum hotels by 2029, which currently cost billions of pounds annually. Marked “official sensitive,” the memo, first reported by The Sunday Times, indicates that the Home Office is preparing to resettle as many as 10,000 asylum seekers across the country.
The plan involves repurposing former military facilities that have been upgraded to receive arrivals immediately. Two sites have already been publicly confirmed: Cameron Barracks in Inverness and the Crowborough Army Training Camp in East Sussex.
While the facilities would be fenced, migrants would not be legally detained and could leave at any time. At a comparable site in Wethersfield, Essex, the Home Office currently operates a shuttle service to nearby towns every day of the week.
Defence officials acknowledged that placing facilities near residential areas is “problematic” and likely to provoke “fierce resistance” from local communities, a source told the Daily Mail.
Over the weekend, hundreds of residents in Crowborough, a town of roughly 20,000, marched to protest plans to house 600 asylum seekers at the disused base. Protesters carried signs reading “Protect our children” and “Protect our community.” One resident, Ben Grant, said, “We just feel like we’ve been let down by the government.” Others called for military oversight to maintain control, and local youths expressed fear for their personal safety.
In Inverness, residents have voiced similar concerns, particularly regarding the safety of women and girls, given the proposed site’s proximity to the city centre.
Government figures show that the Home Office currently supports around 103,000 migrants, including over 32,000 housed in hotels. In recent weeks, more than 1,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats, pushing this year’s total to over 38,000, exceeding the 36,816 recorded in all of 2024.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Most popular stories
Market Research
More Story
Comments
No comment