Furious residents in Crowborough, East Sussex, took to the streets expressing their discontent by chanting “Starmer out” in response to the proposal to accommodate hundreds of asylum seekers in a deserted army training camp.
Following demands from far-right activists to cease using hotels, the Government decided to utilize former military locations and temporary cabins for housing asylum seekers. Despite assurances to reduce the reliance on asylum seeker hotels, local residents remain incensed, highlighting the challenging situation faced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood amidst longstanding Tory disarray.
Residents of Crowborough voiced their concerns and even installed panic alarms in their homes upon learning about the plan to repurpose the military training camp located on the town’s outskirts. They organized a protest along the main high street, carrying banners with messages like “#ProtectOurElderly” and “Our Children’s freedom gone, so they can have theirs.”
Acknowledging the lack of detailed information provided earlier, the Home Office’s director of asylum accommodation, Andrew Larter, apologized at a meeting in the village. He explained that the cost of housing asylum seekers at the camp would be comparable to hotels but with more basic amenities. Larter assured that the camp, with a capacity for approximately 540 individuals, would be self-contained, featuring health and recreational facilities, and emphasized ongoing assessments to ensure safety and compliance with regulations.
Concerns were raised regarding staffing, police presence, pressure on public services, and overall public safety at the camp. Activists and organizations expressed apprehensions about potential human rights violations, wastage of taxpayer money, and the unsuitability of repurposing military barracks for housing asylum seekers.
Despite the opposition, a local grassroots organization in Crowborough expressed confidence that the plan to utilize the military site would not proceed, citing legal consultations. The organization’s chair, Kim Bailey, criticized the decision, questioning the appropriateness of bringing unvetted men from conflict zones to a rural area like Crowborough.
Moreover, worries were voiced about the camp’s proximity to a Sussex Police firearms test center, raising concerns about potential retraumatization of asylum seekers due to activities like shooting drills and explosives training. Advocates stressed the need for safer and more appropriate accommodation options for individuals seeking asylum, urging the government to prioritize long-term solutions to address the national housing crisis.
While the Home Office defended the use of military sites as a cost-effective and community-friendly approach, the Labour party committed to phasing out the use of hotels for asylum seekers before the upcoming election. Additionally, Sussex Police refrained from providing detailed information about the Kingstanding training site due to operational reasons.